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PATARA |
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PATARA |
The winter 'oracle of Apollo' |
| The ruins at Patara are some of the most evocative in Lycia. Sand dunes cover most of the site, half-filling the theatre
and totally burying the harbor entrance and moles. It is renowed as the birthplace of
Apollo, and it is one of the oldest and most important cities of Lycia.
The city was probably founded around the 6th century B.C.. Herodotus mentions Patara in relation to the 'oracle of Apollo'. The legend says that Apollo spent the summers at Delos and the winters at Patara and that's why the omens were interpreted in these two towns during the respective seasons. During the Byzantine period the town did not lose its importance and became a significant Christian center. It was in Patara as well where the Apostle Paul changed ships on route to Jerusalem at the end of this third missionary journey. Later, in the 4th century, Patara was the birthplace of Bishop Nicholas of Myra, the saint who was metamorphosed into our Santa Claus. However, after this period, it seems likely that Patara did lose the Gods' and Saint' favor and its harbor silted up preventing sea-going vessels from entering it. The city gradually lost its importance eventually being covered by dunes and many of its great buildings remain undiscovered, including the famous temple of Apollo that has been never found. |
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