Aphrodisias

 

Located in southwestern Turkey, in the upper valley of the Morsynus River, Aphrodisias consists of two closely related components: the archaeological city itself and the marble quarries situated to the northeast. The Temple of Aphrodite dates to the 3rd century BC, while the city was founded approximately a century later. Aphrodisias derived its wealth primarily from its marble resources and the exceptional artistic output of its sculptors. The urban layout is organized around major civic monuments, including temples, a theatre, an agora, and two extensive bath complexes.

 

Aphrodisias lies in the fertile valley of the Morsynus River in the ancient region of Caria. The serial property includes, first, the archaeological site enclosed by the city walls, and second, the marble quarries northeast of the city. Founded as a city-state in the early 2nd century BC, Aphrodisias was planned on an orthogonal street grid; only a few buildings—notably the Temple of Aphrodite—deviate from this alignment.

 

Because the city shared a particular devotion to the goddess Aphrodite with figures such as Sulla, Julius Caesar, and Emperor Augustus, Aphrodisias developed close ties with Rome. It was granted a privileged tax-free status by the Roman Senate and, during the Imperial period, became a major centre of artistic and sculptural production. Many richly decorated public buildings were constructed at this time, all using locally quarried marble.

 

 

The cult of Aphrodite was central to the identity of Aphrodisias. The sanctuary housed a distinctive cult statue that defined the city’s religious and cultural character. The Aphrodite of Aphrodisias fused elements of a local Anatolian fertility goddess with those of the Hellenic goddess of love and beauty. Images of this cult figure have been found across Anatolia and throughout the Mediterranean, from Rome to the Levant. Remarkably, the importance of this cult endured long after the official adoption of Christianity; the Temple of Aphrodite was not converted into a church until around AD 500.

 

 

The close proximity of high-quality marble quarries was a decisive factor in Aphrodisias’s emergence as an outstanding centre for marble sculpture. Its sculptors were renowned across the Roman Empire, particularly for their virtuoso portraiture and Hellenistic-style representations of gods and Dionysian figures. In Late Antiquity (4th–6th centuries AD), Aphrodisian sculptors were in high demand for imperial portraits and honorific statues, commissioned for major cities such as Sardis, Stratonikeia, Laodikeia, Constantinople, and Rome. At this time, they were widely regarded as the finest marble carvers of the age.

 

The technical sophistication, artistic quality, and innovation in portrait sculpture produced at Aphrodisias secured the city a unique position in the Roman world.

 

 

Aphrodisias was notable for its cosmopolitan social fabric—Greek, Roman, Carian, pagan, Jewish, and Christian—vividly documented in approximately 2,000 surviving inscriptions found across the site.

 

 

The exceptional marble sculpture produced at Aphrodisias represents a synthesis of local, Greek, and Roman traditions, themes, and iconography. This artistic achievement is evident throughout the city, ranging from monumental architectural decoration to over-life-size statues and small votive objects. The availability of both pure white and grey marble from nearby quarries strongly facilitated the city’s rapid development as a major sculptural centre. Aphrodisian sculptors were highly sought after in Rome itself, where their signatures appear on some of the finest surviving works, including sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli. Between the 1st and 5th centuries AD, they played a leading role in the imperial art market.

 

Aphrodisias holds a pre-eminent place in the study of Roman sculpture. Its quarries and workshops made it a major artistic hub, celebrated for the creativity and technical mastery of its sculptors. The site contains one of the very few systematically excavated sculpture workshops from the Roman Empire, offering unparalleled insight into the production of marble sculpture.

 

Aphrodisias is an exceptional example of a Greco-Roman city in inland Asia Minor. Several monumental marble buildings display unique architectural and design features. The Sebasteion—a cult complex dedicated to Augustus and the Julio-Claudian emperors—exemplifies a distinctive integration of Hellenistic, Roman, and local traditions. The Theatre preserves the “Archive Wall,” an extraordinary collection of imperial documents, and an early example of an aediculated stage façade. The Stadium, with its rare amphitheatral form and curved ends, is the best-preserved structure of its kind in the ancient world. The transformation of the Temple of Aphrodite into a cathedral around AD 500 is unique for both its engineering and its spatial impact. The Tetrapylon, marking the entrance to the sanctuary, survives with exquisitely carved architectural ornament.

 

In antiquity, Aphrodisias was famed as the cult centre of a distinctive form of Aphrodite, combining Anatolian fertility traditions with Hellenic ideals of love and beauty. The widespread distribution of marble images of the Aphrodite of Aphrodisias across the Mediterranean attests to the regional and supra-regional significance of the cult.

 

 

 

The property includes all elements necessary to convey its Outstanding Universal Value and has not been affected by major geomorphological change or intensive modern occupation. Its boundaries ensure full representation of the attributes of both the city and the marble quarries. The site is under state protection, and conservation and management policies have been established to safeguard its integrity.

 

 

Authenticity is demonstrated through the preservation of the quarries, monuments, sculptures, and inscriptions, as well as through extensive scholarly research. Conservation and restoration work has been carried out in accordance with the Venice Charter, respecting original designs and materials. The surrounding landscape remains largely untouched by modern development and mass tourism.

 

 

Legal protection has been in place since 1978 for the ancient city and since 1981 for the quarries, under the Act on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property No. 2863. Protection of the quarries was further strengthened in 2016. Legal protection should be extended to cover the entire buffer zone, and patrols by the local gendarmerie should be expanded accordingly.

 

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with its regional branches and the excavation team, is responsible for conservation, protection, promotion, and management. Greater integration of the local community into site management is recommended.

 

The site is excavated, researched, and conserved by a government-authorized excavation team under regular supervision. A Conservation Plan for the city was approved in 2002. A comprehensive 3D inventory of the quarry faces is needed, along with monitoring indicators and remedial conservation measures.

 

The Aphrodisias Management Plan was approved in 2013 and is overseen by designated advisory and supervisory boards. Both conservation and management plans should be updated to reflect the property’s current extent.

 

Seasonal flooding and summer wildfires present the main natural risks. A drainage plan within the city walls should be implemented urgently. In addition, a fire response plan, staff training, and interim measures such as mobile water tanks are recommended until a permanent fire suppression system is in place.