2020: The Year of Patara

Following the year of Troy and Göbeklitepe in 2018 and 2019, respectively, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry declared 2020 as the Year of Patara - the ancient city where St. Nicholas was born. 

In order to highlight Turkey's cultural and historical values and draw attention to these values in the world, the Culture and Toruism Ministry declared 2018 as the Year of Troy to focus on the ancient city of Troy in the northwestern province of Çanakkale. And then this year was the Year of Göbeklitepe, located close to the Örencik village in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa and considered the world's oldest settlement. Now, the ministry is preparing to promote the ancient city of Patara in the southern province of Antalya's Kaş District. Lots of investments have been planned to focus on excavation and restoration works in Patara in 2020.

 The ancient city of Patara, which was confirmed to exist in the eighth century, is one of the oldest settlements of the Lycian Union and also its capital city. In the ancient city, which is thought to cover an area of 10 square kilometers, excavations and restoration works have been conducted for many years under the direction of Professor Havva İşkan Işık. Patara. Dozens of unique historical monuments have been unearthed in the UNESCO World Permanent Heritage site, the only place in the Xanthos Valley that can be opened to the sea.

Birthplace of St Nicholas

Patara, where St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, was born and grew up, also has the oldest parliament building in the world, where the Lycian Union met the representatives of the cities. Patara was the capital of the Lycian civilization for a long time.

The ancient city is home to an amphitheater, historic...