Patara Ancient City, located about 40 km west of Kaş, about 200 km west of Antalya city center, at the southwest end of the Xanthos Valley, is one of the most important and oldest cities of Lycia. Excavated in 1988, the ancient city of Patara is of great importance for its archaeological and historical values. It is one of the rare beaches where Mediterranean turtles Caretta-Caretta lay their eggs and breed for millions of years.

The city's name is even mentioned in Hittite texts dating back to the 13th century BC. While the ceramic fragments found in Tepecik Acropolis contain Middle Bronze Age features, the stone axe belonging to the pre-Iron Age, which was unearthed on the skirts of the eastern slope of Tepecik, shows how far back the history of Patara goes.

Saint Nicholas, known as Father Christmas, is from Patara. The city, which continued its importance during the Byzantine Period, became an important center for Christians. Patara, which maintained its reputation throughout the Middle Ages, reached our day as an important center with the arrival of the Turks.