Andriake, located on the southwestern coast of Anatolia (in present-day Demre, Turkey), was the main port of ancient Myra, one of the most influential cities in the Lycian Confederation. Myra, famous for its Greek theater and rock-cut necropolises in the mountain cliffs, was also home to a prominent bishopric, with its most famous representative being Saint Nicholas (the possible origin of Santa Claus), whose tomb can still be seen. During the Byzantine period, the importance of Myra and Andriake grew, with the latter serving as the city’s connection to Mediterranean maritime trade.

The port of Andriake was situated at the mouth of the Andriakos River, a strategic location but one exposed to a progressive sedimentation process that, over time, transformed the area into a marsh. This factor, along with a history of attacks and political changes in the region, partly explains the site’s deterioration and the port’s decline as an active commercial point by the end of the Byzantine period.

However, during the Roman era, the port was an important trade center. The discovery of inscriptions mentioning emperors Constantine II and Julian demonstrates that its activity extended even into the Byzantine period, at least until the fourth century AD.

Myra Lycia
The rock-cut tombs of Myra. Credit: Ingo Mehling / Wikimedia Commons

It was founded at the beginning of the Hellenistic period, with the main settlement spreading over two hills on either side of the port entrance. The site is first mentioned in 197 BC when Antiochus III captured it.

Lentulus Spinther, sent by Brutus to collect money in 43 BC, had to break the chain defending the port entrance to navigate upriver to Myra. Approximately a century later, in AD 59, the ship carrying the apostle Paul as a prisoner to Rome for trial stopped here, as mentioned in the Bible.

The Austrian Archaeological Institute, conducting archaeological excavations at the site since 2005, found the ruins of a Roman horreum, or grain warehouse, on the north side of the port entrance. An inscription indicates that it was built in AD 119 during Emperor Hadrian’s third consulship.

Andriake
Ruins of the port of Andriake. Credit: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons

Along with Patara, Andriake was one of the most important ports for the grain fleet from Egypt, initially for Rome and increasingly for Constantinople from the fourth century AD onward. Thus, besides the horreum, a warehouse, a large plaza, and other buildings were constructed on the southern shore of the harbor, most of which are now largely destroyed. An aqueduct ensured the water supply, which had previously been provided solely by cisterns.

In the early Byzantine period, purple dye was produced in Andriake, as evidenced by a large accumulation of purple snail shells covering the plaza east of the granary. The settlement was likely abandoned in the early Middle Ages due to the increasing sedimentation of the harbor basin, and during the Ottoman period, a small fort was built on the western end of the northern hill.

Today, the horreum, converted into the Museum of Lycian Civilizations, is a monumental structure measuring 62 by 35 meters, occupying a total area of approximately 2,385 square meters and capable of storing up to 6,000 cubic meters of grain.

Andriake horreum
The granary (horreum) built by Hadrian in the port of Andriake. Credit: Ivan Semian / Wikimedia Commons

The building has a trapezoidal design and consists of eight sections or bays that vary slightly in size, as the two bays on the eastern end are somewhat smaller than the others. This difference could have functional purposes, such as the storage of different types of products or administrative areas. The facade features a long, open gallery flanked at both ends by small structures that likely served auxiliary or access-control functions.

Each bay is separated by thick walls, and the doors between them vary in size. These doors are not aligned in a single row, suggesting a specific design to control the flow of people and goods. The facade walls are 80 cm thick, while the interior walls are even thicker, reaching 95 cm, highlighting the robustness of the structure designed to support large storage loads.

The facade rises in a single decorative level with square windows above the doors, each topped with a cornice. The aforementioned dedicatory inscription in Latin spans the facade, mentioning Hadrian as the emperor who ordered the granary’s construction. Furthermore, the presence of busts of Hadrian and his wife, Faustina, is a symbolic detail that enhances the building’s imperial importance. The inscription, in large, unpunctuated letters, emphasizes the dedication of the building to the emperor, underscoring his role as benefactor and administrator of the Empire.

Andriake horreum
Hadrian’s granary today houses the Museum of Lycian Civilizations. Credit: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons

The function of this granary has been a subject of interpretation among scholars. Initially, some researchers suggested that the building served as a military warehouse, possibly related to the annona, the provisioning system for the Roman forces. However, the relatively small size of the granary, compared to other Roman horrea (such as those in Rome or Vienna), and the limited commercial relevance of Andriake, suggest that this warehouse was not intended as a large-scale imperial supply center.

More likely, Andriake’s granary served a storage function for regional trade. Rather than being a key distribution point for the entire Empire, the granary seems to have been a logistical center meeting local needs and possibly those of Myra and other nearby settlements. This does not diminish its importance, as it reflects a common practice in the Roman provinces of establishing storage facilities to ensure the supply of essential goods, particularly in coastal regions prone to seasonal resource fluctuations and variations in maritime trade.

The Andriake granary shares architectural similarities with other Roman horrea, such as the building in Mazelles, France, leading some researchers to consider a common functional pattern. Both buildings feature a modular layout of spaces, with areas dedicated to auxiliary functions on the facade and large storage areas.

Hadrian’s granary at Andriake is a key monument for understanding Roman utilitarian architecture and the organization of trade and storage in the Empire’s provinces. Its design, combining functionality with elements of monumentality and imperial symbolism, reflects Rome’s pragmatic approach to provincial administration. Although its commercial importance may have been limited compared to other major distribution centers of the Empire, the Andriake granary is a reminder of how Rome integrated its distant territories through infrastructure and provisioning policies.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on November 19, 2024: El granero de Adriano en el olvidado puerto de Andriake

SOURCES

Pierre-Jean Trombetta, Jean-Noël Charniot, Les greniers d’Hadrien à Andriake et à Patara (Turquie). Bulletin Monumental, 1993, 151-1, pp.95-109. doi.org/10.3406/bulmo.1993.3328

Gobierno de Antalya, Andriake Granarium (Horrea Hadriani)

Türkiye Kültür Portali, Likya Uygarlıkları Müzesi/ Andriake Örenyeri – Antalya

Wikipedia, Andriake

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