Anatolian Civilizations and Historical Sites - TEDA

ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS:10x19 antik kentler 8/1/11 10:51 AM Sayfa
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the loveliest and most perfectly built structure on the site. Until it was
unearthed in 1963, this small theater was buried under a lentil field. The
auditorium could accommodate an audience of 1.700 and was probably
used as a concert hall. The odeium was built in the 2 nd century AD and was
destroyed in an earthquake in the 4 th century.
West of the odeion is an elaborate complex of rooms and halls called the
'Bishop's Palace'. This was a private residence probably built in late
Roman times. A short way from the odeium stands the impressive remains
of the Temple of Aphrodite. 14 columns of its peristasis are still erect. The
original structure was built in the Late Hellenistic Period on the site of an
Archaic-Age temple. The Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite was associated
with Cybele, the Anatolian Mother Goddess and both were worshipped
here as fertility symbols. The temple had Ionic-order columns arranged in
a peripteros. The temple was surrounded by a sacred precinct during the
reign of Emperor Hadrian. Eight columns of an imposing propylon were
excavated and re-erected to the east of the temple. Two of the columns
are spirally fluted.
The temple was converted into a Christian church in the 5 th century.
Later, the cella was removed and the columns were shifted to the sides,
forming a nave and two aisles, giving the church a basilical form. An apse
was also added to the eastern end. Between the temple and the
Aphrodisias stadion, on the way from the temple, there is a building whose
floors are paved with mosaics. This is known as the 'northern sacred
precinct complex,' and appears to have been a school of philosophy. The
stadion of Aphrodisias is the best-preserved ancient stadion throughout
Asia Minor. It is 262 m. long, 59 m. wide and once seated 30,000
spectators. It was probably built in the 1 st -2 nd centuries AD. In later times,
the theater was also used as an arena for gladiatorial and wild animal
combat. The museum at Aphrodisias is truly magnificent. Sculpture was
big business in ancient Aphrodisias and its products were exported all
over the ancient world. As a result, artefacts uncovered here may be
thought as what the Aphrodisians considered as their best work, since
they were used to adorn their own city.
The expressive power of the Aphrodisian masters becomes apparent in
works such as the reliefs in the Zoilos friezes, the lovely busts of
Aphrodite, the statue of Hercules and the marble portraits of the
Aphrodisians themselves.
Temple of Aphrodite.