Aphrodisias Ancient City (Aydin)

Aphrodisias Ancient City (Aydin)
Location: Aegean Region, Aydın
Longitude: 37° 42′ 30” East
Latitude: 28° 43′ 25” North
Criterion: (ii), (iii), (iv), (vi)
Category: Cultural

The ancient city of Aphrodisias, located within the borders of Geyre District of Aydın province, Karacasu district, is located on a plateau at an altitude of 600 meters from the sea, in the fertile valley formed by the Dandalaz (Morsynus) Stream, a branch of the Menderes (Meander) River. Throughout history, the city, which was fed by the natural features of the river basin in which it was located, provided the biggest source of wealth in the Ancient Period, and the marble quarries located on the skirts of Babadağ in the north of the city.

Aphrodisias, whose settlement date dates back to the middle of the 5th millennium BC, was a small village in the 6th century BC, but gained the status of a city-state (polis) in the 2nd century BC during the intense urbanization period in the Menderes Valley. Aphrodisias, who had close relations with Rome in the 1st century BC, was “I chose this city for myself from all of Asia” by Octavian, who would later take the title of Augustus as the Roman Emperor. It was taken under protection by the words of the Roman Senate and started to develop rapidly after privileges such as tax exemption and autonomy were granted by the Roman Senate in 39 BC.

The archaeological significance of Aphrodisias derives from the exceptionally well-preserved structures, largely made of marble, and associated reliefs and inscriptions, revealing an intense exchange of ideas and values from the Late Hellenistic to the Roman and Byzantine periods. Aphrodisias, AD 1.-5. It has trained sculptors who have gained great fame in the whole Mediterranean world between the centuries, and whose works bear their signatures all over the Empire, especially in Rome. The rare proximity of marble quarries to the city is an important reason why Aphrodisias became a high-quality production center for marble sculpture. Thanks to this feature, it became one of the cities in the Asian Province of the Roman Empire, which enabled the marble art and architecture of the period to be researched and understood in all aspects. It is known that the sanctuary of Aphrodite, which gave the city its name and played an important role in the development of its identity, and the original cult of Aphrodite in the city, culturally affected a large area in the Mediterranean Basin.

Due to these features, the ancient city of Aphrodisias is about 2-3 km. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2017, together with the ancient marble quarries located in the northeast.

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