Aphrodisias (Afrodisias)

Aegean, Turkey 2 tours visit here

Aphrodisias is an ancient Greco-Roman city in the inland Aegean region of southwestern Turkey, beside the village of Geyre in Aydin province, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It took its name from Aphrodite, goddess of love, whose sanctuary stood at its centre, and grew wealthy on the marble quarried in the hills nearby. Its sculptors were sought after across the Roman world, and their work still sets the site apart. The ruins are unusually complete. The stadium is among the best preserved in the ancient world, a long oval with most of its stone seating in place. Also here are the Temple of Aphrodite, later converted into a Christian basilica, the reconstructed Tetrapylon gateway, a theatre, a council chamber, baths and a colonnaded agora. The Sebasteion, a ceremonial complex faced with carved reliefs, supplied many of the sculptures now in the on-site museum. The site is normally seen as a walking loop that ends at the museum, and most visitors spend two to three hours. The setting is rural and quiet, with far lighter crowds than the coastal ruins, and it is often combined with Pamukkale. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, as shade is limited in high summer.