Andriake is the port settlement of the city of Myra and built at the mouth of the Andriakos River. Although there are finds from the dynastic period, the oldest building remains are the Hellenistic period walls. Almost all of the building remains that can be seen today, such as the granarium, bath buildings, agora, synagogue and churches, belong to the Roman and Byzantine periods. Murex workshops found among the shop buildings around the Agora indicate that purple dye was produced in the city. The purple dye, which is used especially for dyeing fabrics in magenta and purple, is obtained from a sea shell called murex and was a very valuable commercial material in ancient times. By the 7th-8th centuries CE, the port was filled with alluvium and lost its function. Along with Myra, excavations and other scientific studies in Andriake are carried out by Nevzat Çevik. Within the scope of these works, the granarium building was restored and organized as the Lycian Civilizations Museum in 2015.
Inscription of the Customs Law (Lex Portorii Provinciae Lyciae)
The inscription was found in 1999 during excavations at Andriake by the main street of the ancient port. It includes clauses pertain to Lycia of the laws that were declared by the Roman Emperor Nero’s reform edict in 58 CE. It was probably erected during the reign of C. Licinnius Mucianus, who served as the governor of Lycia from 60 to 62/63 CE. Compared to other similar inscriptions in Anatolia (e.g., Ephesus and Caunos), Andriake inscription is longer and more detailed and provides important information about the administrative, economic and social structure of the period.
References:
Çevik, N. & S. Bulut. 2022. ‘Andriake, Port of Myra: Remarks in Light of New Evidence’, TARE 2, 7-74.
Mayer, L. 1803. Views in the Ottoman Empire, London.
Takmer, B. 2006. Lex Portorii Provinciae Lyciae: Likya Eyaleti Gümrük Yasası, PhD Thesis, Akdeniz Üniversity, Antalya.
Image sources:
Türkiye Kültür Portalı
Antalya.com.tr
L. Mayer, 1803
B. Takmer, 2006
N. Çevik, 2022
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022
Reha Özer, 2023
Arkeoloji Haber, 2023
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2023, 2024
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2024