This is an ancient city near the district of Karacasu in the province of Aydin, which was founded in the name of the goddess Aphrodite. From the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period (2800 BC-220 AD), this area was densely populated. During archaeological excavations, an Aphrodite temple, a concert and theater building, the stadium and the agora and baths were brought to light. Aphrodisias was already known in the early days as a major sculptor center. The stadium of Aphrodisias is one of the best preserved stadiums of ancient cities in Anatolia. The name of the city: The city was named Aphrodisias in honor of the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Originally called Aphrodisias "Lelegonpolis", later Megapolis and finally to the Byzantine king Ninos "Ninoi".
From the 2nd century BC, Aphrodisias was Aphrodite's main place of worship and, since the early imperial era, a place of pilgrimage famous for its extravagant celebrations in honor of Aphrodite. After the victory of Christianity, when the temples were closed and a bishop resided, the city was called "Stauropolis", meaning "city of the cross". The first settlements in the area of the later big city existed about 8000 years ago. Also in the Bronze, Copper and Iron Age people settled there. The hill, on which the ancient theater is based, is an accumulation of these times. Although these early settlements existed, Aphrodisias existed as a city only in the 1st century BC.
During this time, the temple and the theater were built. These two buildings were the core of ancient Aphrodisias.
In 82 BC, the Roman General Sulla sent a crown of gold and an ax to the Aphrodite Temple, which was then considered sacred in the territory of Caria. This shows that Aphrodisias was already gaining in importance at that time.
By 39 BC, Aphrodisias became tax-free and ten years later, with the beginning of the Roman Empire under Augustus, was a rich and famous city.
In the 2nd century AD, Aphrodisias united with neighboring Plarasa. That was done by coining common coins. For a very long time, Aphrodisias had no city wall because it was believed that the city was protected by the temple of the aphrodite. only at the time of the gothic migration, that is, the migration of the population, did the inhabitants build a wall to protect in a big hurry. As there was very little time left for material procurement, they used simple blocks of destroyed monuments. For this reason, you can view architectural parts and inscriptions in the city walls.
The wall has three big and three small city gates. the main roads that started at these gates can only be partially recognized today.
Much of what is seen today was created by the New York prof. in the 1960s and 1970s. dr. kenen erim unearthed. so for example the big temple complex - the sebastion: that the temple bore this name, we know from inscriptions. "Sebasteion" is synonymous with the Latin "augustus" and means "big". the sebastion was dedicated to aphrodite and to the family of the first roman emperor julius claudius. In his time, the three main buildings of the temple complex were built. Through the entrance building led a 14 m wide street of marble, which ended in a victory stamp. The buildings were two to three stories high. Between the pillars of the second and third floors were panels with freely designed frescoes. There was no other Sebasteion outside Rome that was so lavishly frescoed like this one. Over 70 panels that can be visited in a museum were found during the excavations. They depict mythological scenes such as Dionisus and Hercules, who are hunting from Troy and pictures of emperors like Augustus or Caesar and their families.