The Legend of Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias was a Hellenistic Greek city located in the historic Caria cultural region of western Asia Minor, near the modern village of Geyre in Aydın Province, Turkey. Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, the city had three previous Greek names before becoming known as Aphrodisias: Lelegon Polis, Megale Polis, and Ninoe.

Founded in the 5th century BC, the city flourished during the Roman Empire, becoming a major artistic center renowned for sculpture, marble production, and the cult of Aphrodite between the 1st century BC and the 5th century AD. Local sculptors utilized the rich local marble quarries to establish a celebrated artistic school.

The Temple of Aphrodite served as the focal point of the town. Its sacred precinct possessed rights of asylum granted by Julius Caesar and Augustus. The marble temple was completed in the early 1st century AD, and the names of the prominent local families who aided in its construction were inscribed upon its columns.

The monumental gateway, or tetrapylon, stands at the end of the main north-south street, marking the entrance to the forecourt of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite. Built around AD 200 in the Corinthian order, it derives its name from having four columns on each of its four sides.

Another prominent complex, the Sebasteion or Augusteum, was jointly dedicated to Aphrodite, the Divine Augusti, and the People, according to a 1st-century inscription. Reliefs discovered in its ruins depict the personification of the city offering sacrifice to the cult image of Aphrodite, emphasizing the political connection between the goddess and the imperial Julian family.

The stadium of Aphrodisias is one of the best-preserved and most extensive structures of its kind in the Mediterranean. Measuring approximately 270 meters by 60 meters, with 30 rows of seating around its perimeter, it had a maximum capacity of around 30,000 spectators.

Situated in an active earthquake zone, the city suffered severe damage from major tremors, particularly in the 4th and 7th centuries. An earthquake in the 4th century altered the local water table and caused flooding, leading to the construction of emergency drainage systems. The devastating earthquake of the 7th century left the city unable to recover its former prosperity.

Following the 7th century, the city dropped its pagan-associated name and became known as Stauropolis, meaning the City of the Cross. With the establishment of Turkish sovereignty in the region from 1260 onward, the name Caria gradually evolved into the modern Turkish name Geyre.

Although the site had been known to European travelers since the 18th century, it gained international prominence in the 20th century largely through the efforts of Turkish photojournalist Ara Güler, who brought the ruins to global attention. Formal excavations began under Paul Gaudin in 1904–1905 and were famously advanced by Kenan Erim starting in 1961 under the aegis of New York University.

Today, visitors to Aphrodisias can explore the monumental Tetrapylon, the Temple of Aphrodite, the grand Stadium, the Hadrianic Baths, the Bouleuterion, and the artifacts preserved in the Aphrodisias Museum. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.