Patara
Patara is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Asia Minor in modern-day Turkey. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Patara was an ancient port city on the southwestern coast of Lycia in Asia Minor, mentioned once in Scripture during Paul's third missionary journey. In Acts 21:1-2, after sailing from Miletus through Cos and Rhodes, Paul and his companions arrived at Patara, where they found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia. They boarded this vessel and sailed past Cyprus to land at Tyre in Syria. This brief mention reveals Patara's importance as a major Mediterranean shipping hub where travelers could find passage on larger grain ships making direct open-sea crossings, rather than the slower coastal route. Paul's urgency to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost (Acts 20:16) explains the choice of a direct crossing. The stop at Patara was thus a practical transit point in Paul's determined journey toward Jerusalem, where he would face arrest and ultimately appeal to Caesar. Some manuscripts of Acts 21:1 add "and Myra" after Patara, reflecting the prominence of both Lycian ports in ancient maritime trade. Patara served the spread of the gospel by connecting the eastern and western Mediterranean shipping lanes.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Patara is located near the modern village of Gelemis in Antalya Province, Turkey. The site preserves impressive ruins including a monumental Roman triumphal arch (the Gate of Mettius Modestus, ca. 100 AD), one of the largest Roman theaters in Lycia, a bouleuterion (council chamber), Roman baths, a granary built under Emperor Hadrian, and a lighthouse considered one of the oldest in the world. Excavations led by Fahri Isik and Havva Iskan of Akdeniz University since 1988 have uncovered extensive remains of the ancient harbor, which silted up in the medieval period. The city was also famous in antiquity as the birthplace of Saint Nicholas of Myra and as the site of a significant oracle of Apollo. The ruins are well-preserved and accessible to visitors.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →