The ancient city of Aphrodisias, located within the borders of Geyre district of Karacasu district in Aydin province, is located on a 600 meters high plateau from the sea, in the fertile valley formed by the Dandalaz (Morsynus) Stream, which is a branch of it. On the banks of the Menderes (Menderes) River. Throughout history, the city, fed by the natural features of the river basin in which it is located, constituted the greatest source of wealth of the Ancient Period and the marble quarries located on the skirts of Babadağ in the north of the city.
Aphrodisias, whose settlement 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 period of intense urbanization. Meander Valley. Aphrodisias, who was in close relations with Rome in the 1st century BC, said “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 in 39 BC when the Roman Senate granted privileges such as tax exemption and autonomy.
Archaeological Significance of Aphrodisias
The archaeological significance of Aphrodisias derives largely from the exceptionally well-preserved structures made of marble and associated reliefs and inscriptions, revealing an intense exchange of ideas and values from the Late Hellenistic to Roman and Byzantine periods. Aphrodisias, AD 1.-5. It has gained a great reputation in the whole Mediterranean world between the centuries, and has trained sculptors whose works carry 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 that allowed the marble art and architecture of the period to be researched and understood in every aspect.
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 wide area in the Mediterranean Basin. Due to these features, the ancient city of Aphrodisias is about 2-3 km away. It was included in the World Heritage List in 2017, together with the ancient marble quarries in the northeast.
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