Aphrodisias, the town of Aphrodite, Goddess of affection and Love. About two hours east of Ephesus and a pair of.5 hours west of Pamukkale, is one in all the Aegean region‘s most interesting archeological site in Turkey.
Guided tours from İzmir, Ephesus/Kuşadası and Tours from Antalya, too often stop here on their thanks to Pamukkale. Nestled within the broad, fertile Meander River valley, this city has been here for millennia.
At its heart is an acropolis on a hill formed of the detritus of settlements dating back a minimum of to the first Bronze Age (as old as 2800 BC). Aphrodisias in the 8th century BC, was popular because the City of Aphrodite and travelers came to pay respect to the Goddess of love at her temple.
The goddess was called Venus by the Romans, and it’s easy to imagine ancient fertility rites like the belly dance being performed in her temple here. With the approaching of Christianity her temple, site of who knows what other rites in worship of affection, was converted into a chaste church.
Without the flow of traveler, the money town declined. In 1402 the fledgling Turkish Empire and Aphrodisias were attacked by Tamerlane. The empire recovered. This city failed to. Today the remains, set between fertile fields of cotton and forests of spindly cypresses, include an extensive Tetrapylon, or from another meaning, a grand gate, the foundations of the Temple of Aphrodite, the Christian bishop’s palace, an attractive sculpture odeon (small theater) in excellent condition, and a stadium still prepared of seating nearly its original capacity of 30,000 viewers.
Cavities acknowledge its history goes back to the late Neolithic period. Prior names for Aphrodisias were Lelegonpolis, Megalopolis, Ninoi, Kayra, and Geyre! That last one remains the name of the Turkish village where the UNESCO site of Aphrodisias is found.
It is during the Roman period that Aphrodisias was named after Aphrodite and kept gaining importance and weight. one among the legends on the theatre’s stage walls mentions a golden Eros statue gifted by Caesar to Aphrodite. it's also during this era that the cities’ sculpture school fame spreads.
Byzantine times brought a bishopric center and Christianity to Aphrodisias which was then called Kayra. While Aphrodisias had been damaged by earthquakes several times during history, it isn’t until the 7th century that a mix of spiritual conflicts, invasions from the east, and a devastating earthquake causes the downfall of town.
The primary excavations at Aphrodisias originate from 1904, with a scientific approach put in situ from 1961 onwards under the guidance of Mr. Kenan Erim, who is now buried next to the Tetrapylon.
The Tetrapylon is most likely the foremost famous image of Aphrodisias in Turkey. This majestic gateway connecting the most street and therefore the sacred way greeted tourists on their approach to the Temple of Aphrodite. The gate with four-part that’s why its called Tetrapylon (Tetra means four in the Latin language), four columns get its name from the Greek word pylon, which suggests gateway, and tetra, Greek for the quantity four.
The Temple of Aphrodite is at the guts of Aphrodisias. Upon completion, the temple counted eight columns along the front and back and thirteen on the perimeters. When the Temple of Aphrodite was later converted to a cathedral, only the side columns remained in position, while those at the front and back were moved and recycled to increase the colonnades at the side to nineteen on all sides. the earlier temple entrance became an apse, with the cathedral’s entry on the opposite far end.
The Stadium at Aphrodisias is incredibly well-preserved and large. With a 30.000 person spaciousness on 22 rows and more! it's 262 meters long and 59 meters wide. that's even larger than the stadium at Kibyra! The elliptic Stadium was designed to offer each spectator a wonderful view of the world.
The Hadrianic Baths were grand. Both the cliffs, the floors, the walls, and even the pools were designed and marked with sculpture. Nowadays, large parts of the limestone walls are still standing, and a number of other parts of the marble floors and walls are still intact, like other famous baths in Turkey. they provide you a nice impression of the previous glory of this bathing obsession that also served as a marble statue museum.
Regardless, you'll be able to understand why it became almost an attraction for Kenan Erim to show the maximum amount as possible of Aphrodisias to the planet.
He would be delighted and satisfied to understand that archaeological work is continuous which there are visitors who are very grateful for his dedication. If you’re curious about a guided tour to Aphrodisias, there are some good itineraries here:
Classic Highlights of Turkey
Ephesus Tour from Izmir
Pamukkale Tour from Izmir