It was discussed for a long time whether the ruins of the ancient Myra, or today’s ruins in the Çayağzı section of Demre, belonged to a different city, but recent research has proved that this was not an independent settlement, but the port neighborhood of Myra.
The Lycian region owed its wealth to ports and commercial activities. And, Andriake was the third most important port in the region after Phaselis and Patara. The foreign-origin amphora fragments discovered during excavations are evidences of the intensity of international trade in the Port.
Although most of the ruins in Andriake are trade-related, the excavations have also revealed social and religious structures a little far from the port and trade area.
The granarium, i.e. the grain storage, which proved the importance of the port in the grain trade and which has been converted into the Lycian Civilizations Museum, agora, cistern, city walls, aqueducts, monumental fountains, Byzantine churches, baths, and observations towers are some of the structures you can see here. Lycian tombs, which can be seen in many parts of Lycia, can also be visited in the old cemetery.
Purple Color of the Emperor’s Clothing Was Produced Here
One of the most interesting buildings of Andriake is the ‘Murex Workshops’ which can be defined as a dye factory. Murex is a type of seashell from which purple dye, used only by emperors and upper classes Since it was very rare, was obtained in the Antique Age. These crustaceans were brought so much to Andriake, which was one of the places where dye was produced, that the remaining shell residues after the production were used for making building mortar. This material, which was called ‘murex mortar’, is important for being unique to the region as well.
First Concrete Proof of the Jewish Presence in Lycia
One of the astonishing remains unearthed in years of excavations in Andriake is a Synagogue, which revealed concrete evidence of Jewish presence in the Lycian region for the first time. During the excavations in the synagogue, which is thought to belong to the 5th century AC, some finds related to Judaism such as “Menorah Plate” with Hewish symbols and inscriptions of religious expressions were discovered.
Source : https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=DAL01&DistId=MRK
