Patara Beach

Entering three famous beaches in the southern province of Antalya at night between 8 p.m. to sunrise has been banned with the start of the nesting season of the endangered Caretta caretta.

Those disobeying the rule on Çıralı, Olimpos and Patara beaches will be fined 109,785 Turkish Liras ($6,699).

The ancient city of Patara in Turkey's Mediterranean coast fascinates its visitors with traces of history and stories of people who once lived there.

The ancient city of Patara in Turkey's Mediterranean coast fascinates its visitors with traces of history and stories of people who once lived there. (AA Photo)

Turkish security forces detained 20 people that have illegally been selling the sand of the world-famous Patara Beach in the Mediterranean province of Antalya on Feb. 27.

The police said the "gang" had smuggled around 3,000 and 5,000 truckloads of beach sand since July last year, selling them to local construction firms.

Patara, a 2,000-year-old ancient city in the southern province of Antalya's Kaş district, which has traces of human life dating back to 6,000 years and was once the capital of the Lycian Union, has been drawing the attention of tourists to the region even more after the year 2020 was marked as the "Year of Patara."

The city gate in the ancient city of Patara in the southern province of Antalya, which is believed to date back 2,000 years and said to be unique in the world in terms of its water transfer duty, will get its former glory with a restoration.

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. (Photos: Alamy)

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. 

The number of endangered caretta caretta (loggerhead) sea turtles broke a record this year on the 18-kilometer ancient Patara beach in the southern province of Antalya.

At 24 meters in height, the Patara Lighthouse in the ancient city of Patara, located in the southern province of Antalya's Kaş district, will be erected again once the Antalya Conservation Board gives an approval for the restoration project.