Ancient City
Patara
PAT-uh-ruh · Modern Patara, near Gelemiş, Antalya Province, Turkey · 36.2662° N, 29.3172° E
Patara was the chief port of Lycia. Acts 21:1-2 records that Paul changed ships here at the end of his third missionary journey, boarding a Phoenician vessel bound for Tyre.
Archaeology
Excavations since 1988 uncovered a well-preserved bouleuterion (assembly hall of the Lycian League), a colonnaded main street, and a theatre. The Patara lighthouse, securely dated by its dedicatory inscription to the reign of Nero (AD 64), is one of the oldest and best-documented lighthouses known from the ancient world; toppled by earthquake and tsunami, it has been re-erected from its recovered original blocks. It is often described as the world's oldest surviving lighthouse, though that superlative is disputed — the Roman Pharos at Dover, England (c. AD 46-50) is conventionally dated somewhat earlier, and the Tower of Hercules at A Coruña, Spain, is the oldest lighthouse still in operation. Excavation of the harbor and residential quarters continues.
On a modern map
Further reading
More sites
Capstone Bible is a free interactive study app — a map of every place in this library, a zoomable timeline of biblical and church history, the Bible text with every name in it linked to its article, reading plans and personal notes.
Open Capstone Bible