Aphrodisias Museum and Archaeological Site

Aphrodisias, dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, is renowned for its well-preserved monuments and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017. Founded in the 6th century BCE, the city became a major religious center during the Roman period and was known for its famous Sculpture School, benefiting from nearby marble deposits. Notable monuments include the best-preserved ancient stadium, which could seat 30,000 people, and the Temple of Aphrodite. Aphrodisias was renowned in antiquity as the cult center of a unique version of Aphrodite, blending aspects of an archaic Anatolian fertility goddess with the Hellenic goddess of love and beauty. Marble figures of this Aphrodite, found both at Aphrodisias and across the Mediterranean, highlight the widespread regional and supra-regional significance of the cult. The Aphrodisias Museum displays artifacts from excavations, especially sarcophagi and sculptures. Nearby, Karacasu’s pottery workshops and the Sırtlanini Cave are also worth visiting.