Andriake – Silk Road Harbour of Myra, Lycia
Ἀνδριάκη · Andriaca · Myra Port · Demre Andriake
Classical to Byzantine (400 BCE – 800 CE)·Lycian / Greek / Roman / Jewish / Christian·🇹🇷 Antalya Province, Demre (Kale), Turkey
About
About Andriake – Silk Road Harbour of Myra, Lycia
5 km from the sea, choked by Myros delta progradation after c. 600 CE. The Hadrian granary at Andriake (Plakoma, 65x32 m, 8 chambers, restored as Lycian Civilizations Museum 2016) stored grain for Rome and later for the Byzantine fleet; beside it lies a 6th c. synagogue with menorah mosaic, purple dye workshops (Murex), and triple-apsed church. 2 m; Paul of Tarsus changed ships at Andriake (Acts 27:5-6) en route to Rome c. 59 CE — the ship of Alexandria wintering there.
Excavations by Nevzat Cevik (2009–).
Why it mattersOnly Lycian port with apostolic visit attested (Acts 27), Jewish synagogue and imperial granary in association; museum centrepiece for Lycia.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Andriake eastern mole survives under greenhouse alluvium
- 02Relation of Myra rock tombs to harbour workshops
Theories
- 01Harbour silted 7th c. CE due to flood pulses in Myros valley
- 02Plakoma size suggests annona port for Constantinople, not Rome
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 400 BCE as Myra port; Hadrian granary 131 CE
- Period
- Classical to Byzantine (400 BCE – 800 CE)
- Culture
- Lycian / Greek / Roman / Jewish / Christian
- Builders
- Myra Lycians / Hadrian
- Purpose
- Granary port for Myra, purple dye production, pilgrimage harbour for St Nicholas shrine
- Abandoned
- c. 800 CE after delta silting and Arab raids
- Rediscovered
- 1840 by Charles Fellows; granary excavated 2009–16
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 400 BCE
Andriake active as Myra port
59 CE
Paul changes to Alexandrian ship at Andriake (Acts 27)
131 CE
Hadrian builds Plakoma granary (8 chambers)
2016
Plakoma restored as Lycian Civilizations Museum
On the ground
Structures & features
36.2417° N · 29.9383° E · 3 m · 3 mapped features
Hadrian Plakoma granary 131 CE
warehouse65x32 m 8-chamber granary now Lycian Civilizations Museum
36.2420° N · 29.9380° EAndriake synagogue with menorah mosaic
synagogue6th c. synagogue beside harbour with menorah mosaic
36.2415° N · 29.9370° ESilted harbour basin reed lagoon
harbour350x100 m silted basin 2.5 km inland at Myros mouth
36.2405° N · 29.9400° E
Gallery