Professor Hawa Ishkan Isik, head of excavations in the ancient city of "Batara", said that the city known as the "cradle of civilizations" takes its visitors on a journey through history, with its antiquities dating back to different eras and civilizations, starting with the Roman Empire and ending with the Ottoman era.

"Patara", which dates back to the eighth century BC, is located within the borders of Qash district in Antalya state, southern Turkey, and is surrounded by sandy hills similar to those in the deserts of Egypt.

The city includes antiquities indicating the presence of human life in it about 4 thousand years ago. It is also known as the capital of the Lycia Federation, which included 23 cities in the middle of the first century AD.

The capital of the Lycia Federation

During the excavations in the city, the building of the Lycia Union Council was discovered, which is considered one of the oldest models of democracy in the world. Representatives of the Lycia region union cities met, and the council was a source of inspiration for the united cities of the region during its founding.

The idea of ​​a democracy system is attributed to the ancient Greek cities, especially Athens. The systems and rules of democracy differed from one city to another, but most of these experiences were not documented in historical records, except for the short experience of Athens in adopting the direct democracy model for the male citizens of the adult population of Athens.

Patara takes its visitors on a journey through history with its antiquities dating back to different eras and civilizations (Anatolia).

Patara is called the "cradle of civilizations" because it contains relics of the civilizations that hosted it throughout history, and therefore its visitors feel as if they have embarked on a journey through time.

The city includes monuments and stories from different eras from the era of Alexander the Great until the era of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

The excavations also indicate that St. Nicholas, known as "Papa Noel", was born in Patara in the fourth century and lived there as a child, and rose to church positions until he was sent to be a bishop in the "Dumrah" area of ​​Antalya and died there.

In addition to the Lycian Federation Council building, “Patara” includes the oldest naval lighthouse, a bath built in the era of the Roman Emperor Nero, a waterway, the entrance to the historic city, and the Roman Amphitheater, which represents the urban transition between the Hellenistic and Roman eras, and is one of the largest Roman theaters in Anatolia with a capacity 6 thousand people.

The city is waiting for its visitors to enjoy this cultural and historical richness, and it is expected that the number of visitors to the city this year will exceed 500,000.

wireless telegraph station

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Isik said that the historical city of Patara began hosting artistic and cultural events with the completion of the restoration of the Roman theater in it.

She added that the theater preserved its nature and originality after the restoration work, and that the Lykia Federation Council meeting building is located directly next to the theater.

The city includes antiquities indicating the presence of human life in it about 4 thousand years ago. It is also known as the capital of the Lycian Federation (Anatolia).

She explained that the building is one of the most historical monuments in the city that visitors accept to see, and that the French philosopher Montesquieu, who developed the theory of separation of powers, described the Lycia Federation as the best model of the republic system in the world.

Ishik pointed out that the Patara Gate is one of the most important gates of the ancient cities, which is recommended to be visited due to its unique urban characteristics and its preservation in its condition to this day.

And she continued, "Other monuments that draw attention in Patara are the sea lighthouse, the port bath, and the columned street, as well as an important technological legacy is the wireless telegraph station, which was established in 1906 and was the only link between the Ottoman Empire and its last lands in North Africa (Tripoli, the West)."

Isik stated that the restoration work of the station and its transformation into a museum is still going on.

She pointed out that the number of visitors began to increase with the decline in the effects of the Corona epidemic, and that the number of visitors to the city last year amounted to 400,000, noting that they expect the number of visitors to exceed 500,000 during the current year.

She stressed that the city of Patara is one of the most important historical cities that it is recommended to visit and enjoy its natural richness of coasts, beaches, sandy hills and historical monuments belonging to different civilizations.