Aphrodisias

The first settlements around Aphrodisias occurred about 6,400 years ago during the Neolithic period, but the site didn’t really start to grow into a real town until 3,000 years ago. In fact, it was most likely disused in the intervening period, such is the lack of evidence for any real settlement during that time. Until the Hellenistic period and the development of the cult of Aphrodite – the obvious name-giver to the city – the area was most likely littered with small farming communities containing perhaps a central temple. Again, however, evidence seems rather hard to come by.

By the second century BC, under Roman rule, the sanctuary then appears to have expanded into a central city and the name Aphrodisias appears in the records. Aphrodite, the goddess of nature, love and fertility, may have been a deity who evolved from an earlier Akkadian goddess known as Ninoè. The Akkadian language is extinct and was in use as an east Semitic language, from the Afroasiatic language family, in ancient Mesopotamia. Ninoè derives from the name Ninos, a mythical founder of the Assyro-Babylonian empire.

During excavations of the theatre at Aphrodisias, many inscribed documents pertaining to the first century BC were discovered on the walls of the stage building. Many inscriptions suggest Julius Caesar paid homage to the goddess which meant he visited the city numerous times. His regular visits to Aphrodisias are clear because after his assassination in 44 BC the city was attacked and robbed by members of the group who murdered Caesar, which meant the city had loyalties to Octavian and Antony. Five years later in 39 BC the city was rewarded and given privileges, after Octavian and Mark Antony’s Triumvirate (the third being Marcus Lepidus) tracked down and defeated all of Caesar’s murderers. According to the inscribed documents found, the city was given non-taxable status, freedom, and asylum rights within the sanctuary of Aphrodite.

After this time Aphrodisias enjoyed a long period of prosperity. The city was seen favourably by all Roman emperors right through to the third century AD, and the cult of Aphrodite grew to such an extent that the city was visited by travellers and pilgrims from all over the known world. The city was also famous for its sculptures. The nearby hills contain copious amounts of marble, so the city became a marble sculpting school, many of the results of which can be found throughout Aphrodisias. For this the city enjoyed being home to some of the best architects and masons of its time, and today among the ruins one can still see the marvellous sculptures scattered all around. The on site museum is also filled with huge sculptures.

Trouble, however, arrived during the third century. The downward slide of the Roman Empire meant that Aphrodisias became a combined province of Caria and Phyrgia, and with the empire driven into two parts it became entangled with the Eastern Roman Empire and thus the Byzantine era.

In the fourth century Christianity swept through the land and despite the rapid changes, Aphrodisias still kept its pagan worship, but by the fifth century the name of Aphrodisias was erased from inscriptions and the new name, ‘Stavropolis’ (City of the Cross) was installed by the seventh century. But this did not stand and the name ‘Caria’ became the known Byzantine term for the city.

As with most cities in this region, Aphrodisias was prone to earthquakes and, like its neighbour Ephesus, Aphrodisias was seriously damaged in the 350s and 360s AD. Although they city recovered, the water table had risen by a considerable amount and floods caused mayhem in the city. Many attempts using ingenious engineering methods were made to stop the floods but in the seventh century another earthquake (or several) caused such damage that many buildings were left in ruins.

It was also during the seventh century that Aphrodisias declined and never recovered. Political, military, religious and economic struggles all took their toll on the incredible city. Very little documented evidence seems to be available for many centuries, but certainly by the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Aphrodisias’ final demise was made certain by the Seljuk Turks, who made many invasions of the remaining Byzantine strongholds in Anatolia.

From this time the once-grand city was abandoned, but all was not lost. In the fifteenth or sixteenth century new settlers arrived and amongst the city ruins the Turkish village of Geyre grew, which still stands today. In fact, Geyre maybe a Turkish version of the name Caria.

Aphrodisias carries with it a history that is typical of the ancient past – peace, trouble, famines, earthquakes, wars, political upheavals, and just about everything that we are still used to seeing today all over the world. The marks of civilisation are exactly these issues, and living together in organised groups brings both immense happiness and terrifying pain and uncertainty to human beings. What is left are the ruins that archaeologists scramble through to try and find the missing pieces of the past. Aphrodisias is a very special place. It has an aura that is quite unusual and architecture that is very unique.

My visit to Aphrodisias was the afternoon of Saturday 14 March, 2015. It was a miserable, grey and wet day (see also ‘Pamukkale‘ and ‘Pamukkale to Aphrodisias‘) and previous rain had created many muddy puddles and blocked various walkways. Thankfully tourist numbers were at a minimum which was good for photography, but the weather didn’t make for a good visit. The cold and rainy day meant the visit was limited to a couple of hours, and it’s without doubt a full day would be required to see the city properly. Like Pamukkale, it is a place I shall one day return to during more favourable conditions.

References:

Erim, Kenan T. Aphrodisias: 1989 (English edition 2014). Net Books, Istanbul, Turkey

http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey22.html

http://www.aphrodisias.com/

http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/APH1.html

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/aphrodisias

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/triumvirate

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/05/obituaries/kenan-erim-leading-excavator-of-marble-roman-city-dies-at-61.html

: House complex

: House complex

: Under the dark tree lies the tomb of Kenan Erim. In the background the Temple of Aphrodite

: The Tetrapylon dates to around 150 AD

: Steps leading to the tetrapylon

: Avenue to the tetrapylon, which is on the right side

: The unusual tetrapylon

: Stunning architecture

: The archway

: From the middle, the western structure

: gateway to the outisde

: Tetrapylon, looking east from the western side

: The great Temple of Aphrodite in the background

: Obligatory cat photo

: The impressive stadium

: The capacity was 30,000

: Impressive design meant good views for spectators

: View from the eastern tunnel. One can imagine walking out into a packed stadium

: View from the back of the eastern tunnel (now blocked up)

: Angled view of the seating

: Stadium designs have not chnaged in two thousand years

: The northern terracing

: The southern terracing

: view from middle level

: From near the top of the northern seating area, a view of the eastern tunnel

: The southern seating

: Great view of the stadium from the top of the northern terrace

: The east end

: Remains of the outer city walls

: The eastern end

: The collapsed area may have been intentional as the east end was later used as an events area

: Upper northern terrace with outer city walls

: Down towards the arena

: Outer city walls

: A view of the eastern end from mid-terrace

: The rubble in the middle clearly shows where later theatre events took place – the stadium was used after a major earthquake damaged the theatre in the 7th century