Ewigkeit am wasser – über die hafennekropole von Patara

Abstract

Architectural representation was an important part of the ancient sepulchral culture. Thus, some very magnificent tombs were erected on radial roads and in areas near the seashore, so that these could be observed by passers-by on land and sea. Burials within towns and, thus, also tombs in urban places would require a resolution of the demos. A brief synopsis shows, however, that the harbours play a rather subordinate role as sites of such honorary tombs and thus of sepulchral representation. This situation, however, is somewhat different in Lycia, shown here by the example of the city of Patara. Here, too, no tombs can be observed directly at the harbour (inner harbour), whereas the outer harbours show a significant density of monumental tombs and sarcophagi, which can hardly be found in other parts of the ancient world.