aphrodisias

Welcome to our website

The Friends of Aphrodisias Trust aims to support continuing excavation and research at Aphrodisias and to raise awareness of this extraordinary site. The website is intended to be a resource for Friends to access information about Aphrodisias and to find news and information about the Trust. All feedback is welcome. Do please write to us, using this link Contact Us.

There is another well-illustrated website based at Oxford that has fuller information about Aphrodisias, its history, and the work of the current project sponsored jointly by New York University and Oxford University, accessible HERE.

The Ancient City of Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias was a Greek city established in the second century BC in Caria (SW Turkey). It lies about 230 kilometres southeast of the port of ancient Smyrna (Izmir). It received special status from Octavian, later the first emperor Augustus, in the later first century BC and prospered greatly under the centuries-long imperial peace that followed – down to the general urban collapse in the region in the early seventh century. The city had well known writers and philosophers and was best known for its cult of Aphrodite and for its marble carvers.

For a full account of ancient Aphrodisias, see HISTORY.

The Archaeological Site

Aphrodisias is one of the most important Roman-period sites in Turkey. Its buildings, monuments, statues, and inscriptions are unusually well-preserved. Many of its built complexes and carved marbles have become cornerstones in the study of the Greek east under the Roman empire.

Major excavation began in 1961 under the aegis of New York University and directed by Kenan Erim, and continues today co-sponsored by Oxford University and directed by R.R.R. Smith (since 1991). The archaeological site of Aphrodisias was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 41st World Heritage Committee session held in Kraków on 9 July 2017.

Reconstruction of the Urban Park
Reconstruction of the Urban Park

For maps of the site, excavation history, and principal monuments, please explore the Oxford web site.

The Friends of Aphrodisias

The Friends of Aphrodisias Trust (a UK charity) has the following principal aims:

  • to support continuing excavations and research
  • to disseminate the findings
  • to raise awareness of this important site.

If you are interested in joining the Friends, please Contact Us.

Other Supporting Organisations

A number of other organisations are involved in supporting the excavation and conservation work at Aphrodisias. A full list can be found here: SPONSORS.