Restoration plans for the lighthouse of Patara

It seems that at last, the plans to restore the unique lighthouse of Patara are going to be materialized. The remains of this lighthouse that was built under Emperor Nero in 64 AD were exposed a few years ago and the inscription to that purpose reads “I am Emperor Nero. I built this lighthouse to greet sailors”. It was said to be written in bronze but the more recent article published by The Archaeology News Network mentions that the letters were made of gold.

[Picture from The Archaeology News Network]

Standing at the mouth of the Xanthos River, the tower proper was approximately 26.5 meters tall with a diameter of six meters; it rested on a square podium. Inside the tower, two interlocking cylindrical structures were connected by a spiral-shaped ladder. As mentioned in an earlier blog (see: The oldest lighthouse in the world at Patara), this lighthouse is the oldest in the world ever recovered.

The plans are to actually rebuild the lighthouse to its original height and guide modern sailors with its light.

We’ll remember that Patara surrendered to Alexander the Great in 333 BC and we may wonder what kind of beacon guided the ships up the river in his days.

Antiochus III captured Patara in 196 BC and the city was annexed by the Roman Empire in 43 AD. Since Patara and its harbor were an important hub on the ancient trade routes, it kept its importance till far into the Byzantine times.

[Updated in December 2023]