Restoration of Patara’s 2000-Year-Old Ancient Lighthouse Reaches Final Stage

The restoration of the ancient lighthouse in Patara, the capital of the Lycian League, has reached its final stage. Located near Kaş in Antalya, Patara was known in antiquity as the sacred center of the god Apollo.

In 2020, officials declared the year as the ‘Year of Patara.’ Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Havva İşkan Işık, the restoration efforts began. As of today, workers have completed the arch of the lighthouse and started work on the dome.

Dr. Şevket Aktaş, a faculty member at Akdeniz University and the current excavation head, shared updates on the project. He stated, “We have begun casting the dome. We are in the final phase. The weather looks favorable, and if it continues this way, we expect to finish the restoration in 1-2 months.”

Thanks to advanced computer modeling, the team has pinpointed the exact location of each stone in the lighthouse. So far, they have replaced approximately 1,600 stones. The goal is to restore around 1,800 stones in total, allowing the Patara Lighthouse to guide ships once again.

Prof. Dr. Havva İşkan Işık, the former excavation head, recently shared images of the lighthouse on social media. In her post, she highlighted the completion of the arch and the transition to the dome, accompanied by Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca’s poem “Deniz Feneri.” Dr. Aktaş expressed gratitude, stating, “We are in the final stretch. The weather conditions are good, and if it continues like this, we will complete the restoration in 1-2 months. We thank everyone who has contributed and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for their support.”

The lighthouse sits at the southwestern tip of the ancient Patara harbor, which connected the Mediterranean to the Xanthos River. It stands about 25 meters tall and emits light from approximately 25 meters above sea level, with a range of four nautical miles.

Long buried under sand, the Patara Lighthouse emerged during excavations led by Prof. Dr. Fahri Işık in 2004-2005. The team found a significant portion of the lighthouse intact, prompting restoration efforts.

Constructed from local limestone, the Patara Lighthouse features a robust structure. It consists of two main sections: a podium and a tower. The tower has two interlocking cylindrical structures connected by a spiral staircase. One remarkable feature is its light, positioned about 25 meters above sea level to guide sailors.

Commissioned by Roman Emperor Nero in 64 AD, the Patara Lighthouse was destroyed by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Rhodes in 1481.