Zeus and Aphrodite statues discovered in the Ancient City of Aspendos

The history and traces of life in the Ancient City of Aspendos, located in the Belkıs neighborhood of Antalya's Serik district, date back approximately 6,000 years.

The city, which possesses one of the few ancient theaters that has survived to the present day along with its aqueducts, defies the centuries with its monumental structures such as the agora on the hill surrounded by city walls, its monumental fountain, temple, stadium, council building, and Roman basilica.

Excavations in the ancient city, which first began as surface surveys in 2008, have been led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Bilgin, a faculty member at Afyon Kocatepe University, since 2022.

In the ancient city, where work has intensified this year under the "Legacy to the Future Project" initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, approximately 2,000-year-old statues of Zeus and Aphrodite from the Roman period were found in one of the two-story shops in the agora area.

'THIS SURPRISE SHOWED US THAT...'

Aspendos Excavation Deputy Head and archaeologist Hüseyin Tolga Candur told an AA reporter that recent work in the ancient city has revealed traces of life dating back 6,000 years in the region.

Stating that Aspendos is one of Turkey's most well-known and visited archaeological sites due to its theater and aqueducts, Candur said, "The city's main large structures are located in the acropolis area, and unfortunately, this is very little known. The Köprüçay, as it is known today, flows right next to the city, which expanded as an upper and lower city, and empties into the Mediterranean. This actually gives Aspendos the characteristics of a port city. Archaeological excavations have been ongoing in Aspendos since 2011."

Candur emphasized that reaching new findings during the excavations excites them.

Explaining that they have been working for some time in the two-story shop/stoa complex consisting of 15 shops and storage areas located to the west of the agora, Candur spoke as follows:

"We encountered a surprise during the work carried out in the 14th shop in this area. This surprise showed us that the area may have been a sculpture workshop during the Roman period. During the excavations, next to a workbench from that period, we first found a statue of Zeus, the chief god of ancient Greece. This statue was made in the form of a bust. The head is intact, and we see a muscle fold in the abdominal area. This suggests that he may have been depicted sitting on a throne.

However, the lower section was cut off and later subjected to secondary use. Our other statue belongs to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, known as 'Venus' in Rome. Aphrodite, depicted standing and semi-clothed while holding her cloak in her hand, has a support apparatus next to her wearing imperial armor. The statues are approximately 50 centimeters tall. Looking at the various features of these elegantly crafted statues, they must have been sculpted in the early phase of the Roman Imperial Period. These findings are supported by the archaeological materials we reached previously."

'WE MAY ENCOUNTER ARCHITECTURAL INNOVATIONS'

Candur announced that the statues will be delivered to the Antalya Museum after documentation, cleaning, and restoration work.

Stating that work continues in other areas of the shop complex, Candur said, "It is expected that the excavations of all the shops will be completed in order within this year. We think that we will encounter big surprises here and in other areas. Perhaps in the future, we may encounter different surprises and architectural innovations."

Candur added, "With the support provided by our Ministry, our work has reached a remarkable pace. We are planning to increase our number of workers in the coming period. If this support continues, we plan to complete the excavations of Aspendos, which have been ongoing for 10-15 years, in a much shorter time."