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Letoon was the sacred cult center of
Lycia and its most important sanctuary dedicated to the three national deities
of Lycia - Leto and her twin children , Apollo and Artemis. Letoon was a shrine
and not actually a city, though it did have a settlement
surrounding it.
This was the spiritual heart of Lycia, its federal sanctuary and the place of
national festivals. The features of Letoon include the remains of three temples,
dedicated to one of Leto and her twins Artemis and Apollo, an agora, a nymphaeum
and an amphitheatre.
Patara was the major port of
Lycia, located at the mouth of the Xanthos River, until it silted up
and turned into a malaria-plagued marsh.
Patara was a very wealthy city due to trade and
was one of the six principal cities of Lycia. Following its capture
by Alexander the Great it became an important naval base as well.
Patara’s oracle at the renown temple of Apollo (not yet found) was
said to rival that at Delphi and the temple equalled the reputation
of the famous temple on the island of Delos. It was believed that
Apollo lived at Delos during the summer but spent his winters at
Patara Omens were interpreted in these two towns during the
respective seasons.
In a hymn attributed to Homer in the honour of
Apollo, Apollo is mentioned with both Lycia and Delos:
(ll. 179-181) O Lord, Lycia is yours and lovely Maeonia and Miletus,
charming city by the sea, but over wave-girt Delos you greatly reign
your own self.
In Christian history Patara is famous for being a
place of St. Paul’s missionary work at the end of his third
missionary journey as he changed ships on route to Jerusalem. Patara
was also the birthplace of St. Nicholas (c.300 AD), bishop of Myra
and the future Santa Claus.
One (of many) legends about Patara tells that a
Spanish girl was carrying of “patara”, a bowl of cakes, which she
intended to give to Apollo. She dropped the bowl and it floated
ashore to the city, giving it its name.
Patara has the longest beach in
Turkey 18 kms of golden sand.
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