Settlement plan of Andriake, the harbour of Myra

Andriake, the harbor settlement of Myra is being excavated and published by our team under the Ministry of Culture and Akdeniz University Myra-Andriake Excavations since 2009. Through these studies, it was able to understand the general development of the settlement. Andriake Settlement Plan, which was personally produced by the author through surveying and marking every remains that could be found in Andriake, forms the basis of this study. The whole set of financial and scientific products of 8 years of excavations is also included in this study, and thus it is, under the counsel of the excavation director himself, is somewhat like a summary of the entire work achieved by the Myra-Andriake Excavations. The most important property of Andriake is it being a harbor settlement separate from its maintown. Harbor cities are usually coastal cities highly developed because of the increased international trade volume. Andriake, which has no demos of its own and is known to be under the jurisdiction of Myra gains further importance for this reason as well. Regarding findings, there is widespread archaeological presence from Late Classical to Early Byzantine at Andriake. It is evaluated that the use of the harbor ceased by the Medieval Period. Due to the fact that the settlement is a densely used comemrcial harbor, artifacts and buildings of periods earlier than Late Roman and Byzantine were not preserved well, but still certain deductions can be made through small finds and architectural traces. The main town Myra is located at the modern-day town of Demre in Antalya province. Andriake is about 3.5 km west of St. Nikolaos Church, which could be expected to be the south limit of Myra city. Necropolis groups are spread along the north coast of the swamp which was the harbor basin, and at the western extremity is the North Settlement area. At the south coast of the basin, along the north side of the small southern ridge lies the South Settlement area which is the most densely inhabited area of Andriake. Finally, the early period settlement center, the Southwest Settlement area lies also on the south, on the western hill at the harbor entrance. South Settlement area lying on the south coast of the harbor basin is the most densely built area among the settled zones at Andriake. The settlement extends in an east-northeastward direction covering an elongated area roughly 700 x 100 m. along the mild slope and coast. The public buildings which rose in number especially at the Imperial Period at Andriake are mostly in this zone. For rendering the examination of the South Settlement more comprehensible, we have conceptually subdivided the area into the Social Zone (east), Commercial Zone (center), and Shipyards Zone (west). On a small peak on the ridge just south of the south settlement lies the remains of a small tower, and there are some workshops and a necropolis just below it. The Southwest Settlement area lies on the northern, harbor-facing slope of the southwestern hill at the harbor entrance. The settlement area is walled to the south and is limited by impassable cliffs in the north. In general, small buildings which are carved from the rock at the back and are terreaced in the front, dominate this settlement area. Andriake North Settlement area lies on the rocky outcrop in the westernmost part of the north side of the harbor basin. The density of public buildings in the south is not observed here, but a few of them such as a bathhouse, bazaar and a church can be found among the settled area. In the rocky area to the north, hybrid buildings similar to those in the southwest are present. The settlement is surrounded by Byzantine defensive walls in the west, north and east directions. The necropoleis at Andriake lie mostly along the roads, which are evaluated to have followed the coast in the north and south, in a manner to be able to be seen from the harbor looking up toward the slopes. The main necropolis by density and quality is the one lying along thepath leading into the North Settlement from the east. The densest group lies also along the path leading into the settlement to the south as well, close to the eastern entrance of the settlement. Buildings generally didn't creep into the graveyards until the Late Roman Period at Andriake, and because of this, certain traces can be deduced regarding the development of the settlement in the north and south parts. Fresh water had to be brought to Andriake by aqueducts from Myra in the Roman Period. The rock-cut canal coming from Myra is split to lead to north and south separately at the eastern entrance. Due to the lack of a freshwater spring, cisterns and calans were built to collect rainwater as well, in addition to the canal coming from Myra. About Classical Period presence at Andraike, there is data regarding finds, architectural traces and necropolis relations. It is evaluated that there were small coastal settlements similar to those around the Kekova region, consisting of rock-cut hybrid buildings in all three settlement areas at Andriake. It can be clearly observed that there was a strong Hellenistic Period presence at Andriake. The settlements that are evaluated to have started in the Classical Period in all three settlement zones continued unbroken through the Hellenistic Period. It is thought that Andriake's coming to prominence as the harbor settlement of Myra and opening up to the internationnal Mediterranean trade accelerated in this period. Traces of the public presence of the Roman state start to be observable in the Early Roman Period. The Customs Inscription from the period of Nero and the honorary monuments in the South Settlement date to this period. Regarding the entrance of the harbor, there is literary recording of it being closed with a chain in the year 42 BC. The harbor entrance and coastal buildings completely disappeared under water and swamp as a result of the land sinking due to earthquakes, and there is no evidence regarding this kind of a setup, only some guesses cam be put forward through circumstatial data. With the period of Hadrian, Andriake became a real imperial harbor. Horrea Hadriani was built in the most central part of the harbor along with a large Agora neighboring it. The use of the central part of the South Settlement that started in the Classical Period expanded to the whole south coast of the harbor basin as widespread buildings, especially after the period of Hadrian. The North Settlement also expanded southward closer to the harbor shore. There are also many high quality Roman Period sarcophagi in the north and south necropoleis. The Late Antique Period is the most dominant archaeological layer at Andriake. From the 3rd century onward, store and bazaar buildings have spread to the whole settlement. The Agora was converted into a murex purple dye factory with a single organization. The phrase of 'Emporion' (trade center) recorded in the Byzantine Period for Andriake, must have started earlier, regarding it coming to mean trade being done in the whole settlement. There are 6 churches at different locations at the settlement. The Synagogue building discovered complete with its contextual finds near the Horrea, shows that the Jews had a strong presence in Andriake contemporary with the Christians. In the Byzantine Period, the countrywide reinvigoration in the periods of Anastasius I and the following Justinian I was also felt at Andriake. The increasing spread of store and bazaar buildings continued in this period as well. The cult of St. Nikolaos of Patara, the Bishop of Myra gained worldwide fame thanks to the Bishop Nikolaos of Sion who reigned in the period of Justinian I. The harbor settlement Andriake then became a harbor for pilgrims. There is very few finds later than the 7th century at Andriake. There is also no architectural presence dateable to the Medieval Period. It is evaluated that, after the dark era that came with the Arabian domination in the Mediterranean from the 7th century, Andriake ceased to be used and the place called Taşdibi in the southeast was used for the pilgrim voyages that restarted after the 10th century.