Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias began as Lelegon Polis, the City of the Leleges, an ancient pre-Greek people who inhabited western Asia Minor. Before it became known by its famous name, the settlement carried three other Greek titles: Megálē Pólis, meaning Great City, and Ninóē, which linked the local elite to the Assyrian ruler Ninus. This renaming process reflected a shifting identity that moved from indigenous roots toward Hellenistic prestige. The city eventually adopted the name Aphrodisias to honor the goddess of love, whose unique cult image stood within its sacred precincts. Sometime before 640 AD, during the Late Antique period under Byzantine rule, authorities renamed the town Stauropolis, or City of the Cross. This change aimed to strip away pagan associations following centuries of Christianization efforts. By the 8th century, the population referred to the place simply as Caria, a name that evolved into the modern Turkish village of Geyre. In 2017, UNESCO recognized the site's global significance by inscribing it on their World Heritage List.
White and blue-grey marble quarried from adjacent slopes fueled a renowned workshop that produced statues across the Roman world. Sculptors from this city gained fame for their distinctive style, with many examples unearthed at the site itself. Some representations of the Aphrodite of Aphrodisias traveled as far as Pax Julia in Lusitania, proving the reach of their influence. The school remained productive throughout the Imperial period, leaving behind full-length statues found near the agora and unfinished trial pieces that confirm an active training environment. Sarcophagi recovered from various locations often featured festoons and columns, while pilasters displayed peopled scrolls with figures entwined in acanthus leaves. Kenan T. Erim documented how much of this work remains visible today around the site and within the Aphrodisias Museum. The abundance of local stone allowed artists to experiment freely, creating a legacy that defined regional aesthetics for centuries. Many surviving images show the goddess wearing a thick tunic encasing her form like a columnar box, adorned with necklaces and a mural crown.
A monumental gateway known as the tetrapylon stands at the end of a road leading into a large forecourt before the Sanctuary of Aphrodite. Built around 200 AD, this structure marked the transition from public street to sacred space. The Temple of Aphrodite served as the town's focal point until Emperor Zeno ordered its dismantling between 481 and 484 AD due to pagan opposition against his rule. The Bouleuterion, or council house, functioned as both administrative meeting place and multi-purpose theater with seating capacity estimated at 1,750 people. Its lower auditorium survives intact with nine rows divided by radial stairways, though upper sections collapsed along with supporting vaults. Massive parallel buttresses once supported an original vaulted roof, while tall arched windows provided light to the interior. A stadium constructed in the 1st century AD held up to 30,000 spectators across thirty rows on each side. Later conversions turned parts of the eastern section into a circus for gladiatorial games after the main theater suffered damage during a 7th-century earthquake. The Sebasteion complex combined imperial worship with local devotion through reliefs depicting sacrifice to the cult image of Aphrodite.
Seismic activity in the 4th century altered the water table, making portions of the town prone to flooding despite emergency plumbing installations. A severe tremor struck again in the early 7th century, causing permanent destruction that the city never recovered from. Part of the ancient urban area became covered by the modern village of Geyre, forcing removal of some cottages in the 20th century to reveal older structures. A new settlement was built nearby as the old site fell into disrepair and shrank to a small fortified zone near the ancient theater. Multiple Seljuk raids following the Battle of Manzikert led to massive population loss, including one incident where over 5,000 people were taken captive and sold into slavery. Theodore Mankaphas sacked Caria in 1188, followed by another Seljuk attack in 1197 before Turkish control solidified at the end of the 13th century. These cumulative disasters transformed a thriving metropolis into a shadow of its former self, reducing it to a fiscal administrative unit within the Byzantine Empire.
Paul Augustin Gaudin conducted the first formal excavations between 1904 and 1905, uncovering architectural fragments now housed in the British Museum. Kenan Erim initiated ongoing digs under New York University sponsorship starting in 1962, continuing today under Professor R. R. R. Smith and Katharine Welch. Their work revealed that lavish building programs were largely funded by Gaius Julius Zoilos, a freedman who aligned his native city with Octavian during political struggles against Mark Antony. This alliance secured financial privileges allowing Aphrodisias to prosper for centuries. In September 2014, drones created three-dimensional maps of above-ground ruins analyzed by the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Vienna. An ancient tomb unearthed in March 2018 was moved to the museum after being discovered in an area previously targeted by illegal diggers. Two sarcophagi found in 2020 within an olive grove included one featuring a relief of Medusa. These discoveries continue to reshape understanding of civic life and artistic achievement at the site.
Over 2,000 inscriptions have been recorded by excavators working under New York University leadership, many reused in Late Antique city walls without requiring deep excavation. The quality of local marble ensured survival of these texts from the Imperial period through Byzantine times, including funerary and honorary documents. A set of records portraying grandeur and history formed part of what scholars call the Archival Wall. Excavations uncovered an important Jewish inscription listing donations made by numerous individuals classified as Godfearers, or those interested gentiles supporting the community. Comparative evidence suggests this phenomenon spread widely across Asia Minor during Roman rule, linking Aphrodisias to broader religious networks. Friezes discovered in 1980 depicted Britannia writhing beneath a Roman soldier's knee with inscriptions naming Tiberius Claudius Caesar, symbolizing subjugation of Britain. Such texts provide rare insight into daily life, civic organization, and religious diversity within a major provincial capital that maintained pagan traditions until the late 5th century.
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Common questions
When did the ancient city of Aphrodisias change its name to Stauropolis?
Authorities renamed the town Stauropolis sometime before 640 AD during the Late Antique period under Byzantine rule. This change aimed to strip away pagan associations following centuries of Christianization efforts.
What is the significance of the marble quarries in Aphrodisias for Roman sculpture?
White and blue-grey marble quarried from adjacent slopes fueled a renowned workshop that produced statues across the Roman world. The abundance of local stone allowed artists to experiment freely, creating a legacy that defined regional aesthetics for centuries.
Who ordered the dismantling of the Temple of Aphrodite in Aphrodisias?
Emperor Zeno ordered the dismantling of the Temple of Aphrodite between 481 and 484 AD due to pagan opposition against his rule. The temple served as the town's focal point until this imperial intervention occurred.
Which Seljuk leader sacked Caria in 1188 after the Battle of Manzikert?
Theodore Mankaphas sacked Caria in 1188, followed by another Seljuk attack in 1197 before Turkish control solidified at the end of the 13th century. Multiple raids led to massive population loss including one incident where over 5,000 people were taken captive and sold into slavery.
When did Kenan Erim begin excavations at the site of Aphrodisias under New York University sponsorship?
Kenan Erim initiated ongoing digs starting in 1962 continuing today under Professor R. R. R. Smith and Katharine Welch. Their work revealed that lavish building programs were largely funded by Gaius Julius Zoilos a freedman who aligned his native city with Octavian during political struggles against Mark Antony.