Patara is known as the birthplace of St. Nicholas and has 10 churches built in different periods since the 4th century AD when Christianity became the dominant culture. The largest of these structures is the Patara City Basilica, which has been completely excavated and is located in the center of the city. This basilica is located at a transition point between the residential areas in the east and the administrative center in the west.

 

Another large building, the Harbor Basilica, is located at the western foot of Tepecik, at a point overlooking the entrance to the inner harbor. Partially excavated in the 1990s, this church was built on the site of a former pagan temple, as evidenced by the spolia used.

 

The Tomb Church, located north of Tepecik, was built in a necropolis from the pagan period. The tomb under the apse to the east of the church suggests that it belonged to an important Christian figure. Adjacent to the tomb church, a cemetery area surrounded by high walls with sarcophagi and other tombs developed over time.

 

Two churches were found in the medieval settlement surrounded by walls to the south of the inner harbor. One of these churches was unearthed by excavations and attracts attention with its small size. The other is a building built on a mosaic from an earlier period, only a small part of which has been unearthed, and is located in the southwest.

 

Buruncuk Hill, behind the Patara Assembly Hall, is home to another church overlooking the harbor bay; however, this structure can only be traced from above-ground remains today. The same is true for a church on Doğucasarı Hill. Here, part of the Hellenistic fortifications were integrated into the structure during the construction of the church.

 

Patara City Basilica

 

Excavations at the Patara City Basilica first began in 1989, but were short-lived. The excavations and surveys resumed between 2013 and 2019 have led to the complete unearthing and detailed documentation of the building. This process has made significant contributions to the archaeology of the Early Christian and Eastern Roman periods and to the study of their art, architecture and liturgy.

 

The basilica was built extra muros (outside the wall) to the east of the Late Antique Wall and is one of the largest Early Christian basilicas in Lycia with an area of 180 square meters. The church has three naves extending in the east-west direction and has a transept plan consisting of an atrium with peristyle and a narthex. This plan type, in which the transept is surrounded by aisles extending to the east, is called “Shortened Cross Transept”.

 

The basilica has four building phases:

 

• First phase: Built in the second half of the 5th century AD, it was probably destroyed by an earthquake.

• Second phase: In the 6th century AD, the basilica was reorganized as an Episkopeion (episcopal church) with the addition of the spaces to its south. During this period, a triconchos (three apses) building was added to the southeast of the main apse.

• Third phase: In this phase, dated to the 11th century AD, a chapel was built northwest of the central nave. The tombs in and around the basilica also belong to this period.

• Last phase: The residences and workshops built in the atrium belong to this phase.

 

Grave Church

 

The Grave Church is located north of the Patara City Gate, on the road coming from the south of the ancient city, between Tepecik to the west and Günlük Tepe to the east. Built in the mid-4th century AD to the west of a terrace wall from the Roman Imperial Period, this structure was in use until the 11th or 12th centuries AD. Although various repairs and alterations were made during this long period, the building has two main phases.

 

First Phase

 

The first phase of the Church of the Tomb has a basilical plan and consists of three naves. The apse of the church was built over a torpedo-shaped terracotta tomb, surrounded by bricks. This first structure was dedicated to the owner of the grave under the apse. Although the identity of the person lying in the tomb is not known for certain, it is thought that this person was most likely a martyr, a saint or a respected figure for Christianity.

 

Second Phase

 

After the basilica of the first phase was completely destroyed by a major earthquake, a vaulted church with stronger walls was built on the same site. This new building, although about the same size, has marked differences in its plan. The three naves are separated by walls, with a transept to the east, followed by an enlarged apse. On either side of the apse are rectangular rooms following the north and south naves. The center of the church is covered with a dome, while the other sections are covered with vaults.

 

In the room south of the apse, there is a sarcophagus with a garland belonging to the Roman Imperial Period. It is understood that this room was a privileged area since it was closest to the apse and the tomb of the saint. According to the inscription on the lid of the sarcophagus, Archbishop Eudomos, who lived during the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD or the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, was buried here. However, the sarcophagus was reused during the second architectural phase of the church and was probably repurposed by a donor.

 

Analyses show that the collapse of the domed church was caused by an earthquake. After the destruction, most of the church was covered with tombs. However, a small chapel to the south of the apse suggests that the Grave Church continued to function as a place of worship until the 11th or 12th century AD.