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  • Mom & Dad

PATARA DAY 2: SAND DUNES TO BEACH TO ROMAN RUINS - 10 km

We decided to take an easy day today and walk locally. Along the way to the sand dunes outside of town, a friendly, energetic (or should I say super-hyper) dog adopts us and stays with us most of the day. We've never seen a dog so alive with the joy of running at warp speed up and down sand dunes, along the beach, and up the hills. After walking to the sand dunes we veer down to the beach where there is a strong head-wind as we walk toward the ruins. This beach is a huge draw in the summer time with the white sands extending uninterrupted for 18 km.

Now, how to describe these ruins... First of all, Patara was once a flourishing maritime and commercial Lycian village complete with amphitheatre, temples, lighthouse, baths, granary, stadium, council building, tombs, arches, etc. and was taken over by Rome in 43 AD. Many of the ruins were discovered under dunes of sand and there are more still waiting under sand to be dug out. This web site tells about the Lycians . Since we approached the ruins from the beach up the hillside, we were able to get an overview of the city before going down to explore.  Billy, especially, was fascinated with the engineering and construction of it all. We ate our lunch at the top row of the amphitheatre imagining the 6000 seats filled with people watching a play or in later times Roman gladiators battling it out. 
The friendly energetic dog
Big sand dunes
Sand dunes lead to the sea
Up the hill from the beach
Huge water cistern on the hill above the Lycian city
6000 seat amphitheatre
Lunch with doggie friend at the top of the amphitheatre
Many, many photos here
Note the notched construction of the wall
View of the assembly hall
Inside the assembly hall
Remains of the pedestrian main street
The famous Roman arch
At the entrance to the city
At the bottom of the amphitheatre
Ruins collected and catalogued waiting for restoration

30 second video of the amphitheatre: