World Heritage Identification Number: 1519
World Heritage since: 2017
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Buildings & Architectural Ensembles
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇹🇷 Türkiye
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Aphrodisias: Ancient City of Love and Art in Southwestern Turkey
Aphrodisias, officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, is a fascinating archaeological treasure located in the upper valley of the Morsynus River in southwestern Turkey. This ancient city, steeped in history and mythology, offers a unique blend of culture, art, and architectural wonders that have captivated scholars and tourists alike for centuries.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Located in southwestern Turkey, in the upper valley of the Morsynus River, the site consists of two components: the archaeological site of Aphrodisias and the marble quarries northeast of the city. The temple of Aphrodite dates from the 3rd century BC and the city was built one century later. The wealth of Aphrodisias came from the marble quarries and the art produced by its sculptors. The city streets are arranged around several large civic structures, which include temples, a theatre, an agora and two bath complexes.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ii): The exceptional production of sculpted marble at Aphrodisias blends local, Greek, and Roman traditions, themes and iconography. It is visible throughout the city in an impressive variety of forms, from large decorated architectural blocks to larger than life-size statues to small portable votive figures. The proximity of good quarries with both pure white and grey marbles was a strong catalyst for the swift development of the city as a noted centre for marble-carving and marble-carvers. The ability of Aphrodisian sculptors was sought after in metropolitan Rome where signatures of Aphrodisian sculptors appear on some of the finest surviving works – for example, from Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli. These sculptors were major participants in the Empire’s art market between the 1st and 5th centuries AD.
Criterion (iii): Aphrodisias occupies a pre-eminent place in the study of sculpture in the Roman world. Its quarries and its sculpture workshops made it a major art centre, famous for the creativity and technical skill of its sculptors. Aphrodisias has one of the very few known and systematically excavated sculpture workshops of the Roman Empire, which provides a fuller understanding of the production of marble sculpture than anywhere else in the Roman world.
Criterion (iv): Aphrodisias is an exceptional example of the built environment of a Greco-Roman city in inland Asia Minor. Several of its monumental marble buildings have unique features in terms of architecture and design. The Sebasteion, an elaborate cult complex for the worship of Augustus and the Julio-Claudian emperors, represents a distinctive integration of Hellenistic, Roman and Aphrodisian artistic traditions. The “Archive Wall” in the theatre is a well-preserved collection of official imperial documents regarding the status of the city under the Empire. The Theatre also features an early example of a stage building with an aediculated façade. The Stadium has an unusual architectural form with two curved ends, known as “amphitheatral”, and is the best-preserved example of this type in the ancient world. The conversion of the Temple of Aphrodite into a cathedral, around AD 500, is unique among temple-to-church conversions in its engineering and transformative effect. The Tetrapylon, the conspicuous entrance to the outer Sanctuary of Aphrodite, is preserved with its elaborate and exquisitely carved architectural ornament.
Criterion (vi): Aphrodisias was famous in antiquity as the cult centre of a version of Aphrodite which amalgamates aspects of an archaic Anatolian fertility goddess with those of the Hellenic goddess of love and beauty. The Aphrodite of Aphrodisias appears in marble figures from the site of Aphrodisias as well as from many other locations around the Mediterranean. This dissemination of the cult image is strong evidence of the regional and supra-regional importance of the cult.
Encyclopedia Record: Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias was a Hellenistic Greek city in the historic Caria cultural region of western Asia Minor, today's Anatolia in Turkey. It is located near the modern village of Geyre, about 100 km (62 mi) east/inland from the coast of the Aegean Sea, and 230 km (140 mi) southeast of İzmir.Additional Site Details
Area: 152.25 hectares
Number of Components: 2
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 37.7083333333 , 28.7236111111
Image
© Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Aphrodisias from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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Ancient white and grey marbles from Aphrodisias: multi‐method characterization
A comprehensive archaeometric analysis of white and grey marbles from Aphrodisias, Turkey, reveals that distinguishing these marbles from other ancient types—such as Paros-Lakkoi or Prokonnesos—remains challenging despite the use of multiple analytical methods. The study, which examined a broad range of samples, found no reliable provenance indicators except for grey marbles from specific sectors (AF3 and AF9), characterized by depleted δ13C values below +0.5‰. This suggests that verifying the international use of Aphrodisian marbles is difficult due to their petrographic and geochemical similarities with other marbles. Additionally, topographical measurements were employed to estimate the volume of extracted material, providing new insights into ancient quarrying practices.
Wielgosz‐Rondolino, D., Antonelli, F., Bojanowski, M. J., Degryse, P., Gładki, M., Göncüoğlu, M. C., Lazzarini, L., Long, L., & Mandera, S. (2023). Ancient white and grey marbles from Aphrodisias: multi‐method characterization. Archaeometry, 66(1), 30–56. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12893
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3D Night Illumination of Aphrodisias Open-Air Museum with LED Technology
A groundbreaking approach to illuminating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, specifically the Aphrodisias Open-Air Museum in Turkey, demonstrates how LED technology can enhance visual aesthetics while ensuring energy efficiency and preserving artifact integrity. The study successfully achieves these goals through 3D simulation and experimental analysis, identifying optimal light sources based on performance parameters such as Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), Color Rendering Index (CRI), and luminous efficacy tailored to the location and texture of artifacts. This method not only prevents visual discomfort but also promotes modern, sustainable lighting solutions for open-air museums in Turkey, facilitating safe nighttime visits while minimizing energy loss.
Ozturk, S. N., Onat, M., & Celik, H. H. (2022). 3D Night Illumination of Aphrodisias Open-Air Museum with LED Technology. Light & Engineering, (01-2022), 101–112. Internet Archive. https://doi.org/10.33383/2021-039
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Reading Visual Cues on the So-called Archive Wall at Aphrodisias: A Cognitive Approach to Monumental Documents
Monumental documents, such as the epigraphic dossier at Aphrodisias, are perceived and read differently from standard texts due to their context, visual cues, and formulae. This study reveals that the 'Archive Wall' at Aphrodisias, likely a monument of self-promotion, attracted attention through its physical context and visual design, which influenced how it was experienced by viewers. By applying cognitive scholarship on reading processes, the research examines how these elements shaped perception, offering insights into why such documents were significant in monumental contexts.
Graham, A. S. (2021). Reading Visual Cues on the So-called Archive Wall at Aphrodisias: A Cognitive Approach to Monumental Documents. American Journal of Archaeology, 125(4), 571–601. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.125.4.0571
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Hiding in Plain Sight: Epigraphic Reuse in the Temple-Church at Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias' Temple-Church, originally a Roman-era temple to Aphrodite, was repurposed around 500 CE into a Christian church. During this transformation, ancient inscriptions from the temple and other sites were selectively reused within the new structure. These inscriptions, though legible to educated Greek speakers, held enduring significance for the city's civic identity, emphasizing local elites' connections with Roman rulers. The study reveals that viewing these older texts alongside late antique graffiti in the church underscores shifts in commemorative practices during Late Antiquity, highlighting a democratization of memory in early Christianity. This research approach combines architectural analysis and epigraphic documentation to interpret the layered meanings of reused inscriptions.
Sitz, A. M. (2019). Hiding in Plain Sight: Epigraphic Reuse in the Temple-Church at Aphrodisias. Journal of Late Antiquity, 12(1), 136–168. https://doi.org/10.1353/jla.2019.0006
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Re-Appraising the Value of Same-Text Relationships; a Study of ‘Duplicate’ Inscriptions in the Monumental Landscape at Aphrodisias
A new perspective on 'duplicate' inscriptions reveals that identical or similar texts should be studied independently, not merely as copies. By analyzing differences between such inscriptions at the Sebasteion in Aphrodisias, researchers uncovered nuanced insights into monumental messaging and its perception by ancient audiences. The study highlights a deliberate planning process where architectural context—spaces, decorations, and textual arrangement—shaped how distinctions and hierarchies were visually communicated to Roman viewers. Contrasting these findings with near-identical dedications at the Hadrianic baths further elucidates the phenomenon of duplicate dedications, offering deeper understanding of epigraphic presentation in classical antiquity.
Graham, A. (2018). Re-Appraising the Value of Same-Text Relationships; a Study of ‘Duplicate’ Inscriptions in the Monumental Landscape at Aphrodisias. The Materiality of Text – Placement, Perception, and Presence of Inscribed Texts in Classical Antiquity, 275–302. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004379435_012
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Aphrodisias
Early Byzantine Aphrodisias exhibited significant urban continuity, marked by the transformation of the temple of Aphrodite into a large church and the presence of additional churches in surrounding cemeteries. The region's dense rural habitation began to decline by the late 7th century, with evidence suggesting Arab invasions led to population displacement. Village-like settlements re-emerged in the 8th century, accompanied by the repurposing of the theater as a fortress. Middle Byzantine resettlement and modest prosperity are attested by church buildings, until Turkish incursions caused widespread abandonment. This study reconstructs Aphrodisias's socio-political trajectory through architectural and archaeological evidence, highlighting periods of continuity, decline, and resilience.
Dalgıç, Ö., & Sokolicek, A. (2017). Aphrodisias. The Archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia, 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190610463.003.0024
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Memory, Commemoration & Identity in an Ancient City: The Case of Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias, an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor, offers a unique lens to study the evolution of memory and identity from the late second century BCE to the seventh century CE. The research reveals how civic, social, and religious identities were dynamically expressed through inscriptions, images, and name changes, reflecting responses to historical shifts such as Roman contact, competition with other cities, and the rise of Christianity. Memory played a pivotal role in shaping collective identity, particularly through war narratives and foundation legends, while elite benefactors and intellectuals influenced its transmission. In late antiquity, religious symbols and acclamations became central to expressing competing identities amid growing religious conflicts. The study leverages extensive epigraphic and visual sources to trace these processes, highlighting the adaptive nature of identity in response to changing contexts.
Chaniotis, A. (2016). Memory, Commemoration & Identity in an Ancient City: The Case of Aphrodisias. Daedalus, 145(2), 88–100. https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_00379
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