Aphrodisias

Overview

In a valley among olive groves, a marble gateway of four rows of columns stands alone in a meadow. Beyond it lie a temple, a council house and a great ancient stadium. And there is a lot of marble. This is Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite and of famous sculptors of the Roman world. Our off the beaten path Turkey tour in 12 days stops here before Ephesus.

Compared with Ephesus, Aphrodisias still feels like a secret. Its sculpture is remarkable, and its museum alone is worth the trip. So give it a full morning, and walk slowly between the monuments. Choosing one? Read Pamukkale or Aphrodisias.

Aphrodisias, the City of Sculptors

Aphrodisias lies near the village of Geyre in Aydın province, in the fertile valley of the Dandalaz (Morsynus) stream, a branch of the Menderes. The city stood in ancient Caria, and later, under Rome, it became the capital of the province of Caria. Our Aphrodisias tour comes here from Pamukkale or Kuşadası.

In 2017, UNESCO added the site and its marble quarries to the World Heritage List. You can combine it with Pamukkale and Hierapolis, further inland to the east.

History of Aphrodisias

The city of Aphrodite

At first the city had other Greek names. Then, around the 3rd century BC, it took the name of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Its own goddess had a unique image, wrapped in a tight robe with bands of carved figures, much like Artemis of Ephesus. Her temple stood at the heart of the town, so pilgrims came from far away.

A freed slave and the favor of Rome

The city’s great building program began with a local man named Gaius Julius Zoilos. At first he had been a slave of Julius Caesar, until Octavian set him free. Back home, Zoilos led the city to support Octavian against Mark Antony. So when Octavian became Emperor Augustus, Aphrodisias won special privileges. Then the money flowed into marble streets, temples and theaters.

Sculptors in marble

White and blue-gray marble came from quarries right beside the city, so Aphrodisias developed a famous school of sculpture, and its artists worked across the Roman world. The city also kept a school of philosophy and stayed a center of the old gods until the end of the 5th century.

Stauropolis and decline

Then, in the 7th century, an earthquake destroyed much of the city. At the same time, its name changed to Stauropolis, “City of the Cross”, to drop its pagan meaning. People simply called it Caria, after the region, which gave the modern village its name, Geyre. After Seljuk raids, the town came under Turkish rule by the end of the 13th century.

What to See at Aphrodisias

The Tetrapylon

The city built a monumental gateway with four rows of columns. Originally, it led from the main street into the forecourt of the sanctuary of Aphrodite. Today, restored, it is the symbol of the site.

The Temple of Aphrodite

Today only columns remain of the temple that stood at the center of the city. Later, Christians turned it into a basilica.

The stadium of Aphrodisias

The stadium is also remarkably well preserved. Crowds watched races, games and artistic contests here. Later, the eastern end was turned into an arena for gladiators.

The Sebasteion

The Sebasteion was dedicated “to Aphrodite, the Divine Augusti and the People”. Above the street, two long porticos once carried carved panels of gods, emperors and conquered nations.

The council house

On the north side of the agora, the council house kept its lower rows of marble seats. Later, in the 5th century, it also served as a hall for lectures and performances.

The Aphrodisias Museum

Next to the site, the museum displays the work of the city’s sculptors. Do not miss the long hall of panels from the Sebasteion. The Turkish photographer Ara Güler helped introduce the site to the world, and Professor Kenan Erim of New York University led the excavations for decades.

How to Visit Aphrodisias

Getting to Aphrodisias

• By car: drive to the village of Geyre in Aydın province, where the museum stands beside the site.
• From Pamukkale: make Aphrodisias a day trip from Pamukkale and Hierapolis, and our two-day Ephesus and Pamukkale tour covers the region.
• From the coast: drive inland from Kuşadası or Ephesus for a long day, and break the journey at the Roman city of Nysa above Sultanhisar, as our Nysa tour does from Kuşadası.

Local tips for Aphrodisias

• Follow the marked path, because it links the main monuments.
• Visit the museum first, so you know what once stood on the empty bases.
• Bring a hat and water, because the stadium has no shade.
• We arrange your entry to Aphrodisias and its museum.