City Gate

The City Gate, one of the landmarks of Patara, has survived to the present day in a very well-preserved state. Located in the north of the city, east of Tepecik, this monumental structure has three arched doorways and stands on four pillars. It is 19 meters long and 10 meters high in the east-west direction.

In ancient times, Patara was accessed by two different roads. One road starting from Kısık Mevkii was divided into two roads north of Tepecik. One of these roads led to the inner harbor from the west of Tepecik and the other road led to the city gate from the east. Although no pavement was found during the excavations, this monumental structure with three gates clearly shows that the city was accessed from the north during the Roman period.

There are a total of 12 consoles on the two long facades of the building. The inscriptions on 8 of these consoles honor the Roman governor of Lycia and Pamphylia, Mettius Modestus, and his family. It is likely that statues of the people mentioned in the inscriptions were placed on these consoles. There are also two niches on both facades, one above each foot. It is believed that statues of unknown persons were displayed in these niches. On the upper part of the gate, according to the inscriptions, there is a pedestal that once supported the statue of Emperor Traianus. In this respect, the Patara City Gate is not only a gate but also a monument of honor.

The city gate also functioned as a water structure. It was designed as the last link of the waterways built in the first half of the 1st century AD. The water, which was brought to the upper part of the gate through terracotta funnels or lead pipes on the eastern narrow side, flowed through a slit and filled a basin above the central arch. It then passed through the funnels in the body of the building and was carried by a gargoyle on the western narrow side to the large pool below. Functioning as a nymphaeum (monumental fountain) with this feature, the city gate is a remarkable example of multipurpose use.

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