The agora at Aphrodisias

The ancient city of Aphrodisias, once the capital of the province of Lydia, is located near the village of Geyre in the district of Karacasu . The... more

by Auntieblues

Title

The agora at Aphrodisias

Artist

Auntieblues

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

The ancient city of Aphrodisias, once the capital of the province of Lydia, is located near the village of Geyre in the district of Karacasu . The use of the name Aphrodisias began after the 3rd century B.C., in the Hellenistic period.

The wealth and cultural and political importance of the city is clearly attested by the size and magnificence of the buildings of which it is composed.The name Aphrodisias is derived from Aphrodite, the goddess of nature, beauty, love and plenty, and was one of the most famous cult centres of the goddess.

The agora (seen from the west) was planned in the 1 St. century B.C. for use as a market and popular meeting place. It is composed of two Ionic porticoes over 200 m long and running from east to west. The monumental gate of the agora is located at the eastern end. This ornamental entrance was erected in the middle of the 2nd century but in order to prevent the flooding that followed the 4th century earthquake it was converted into a nymphaeum and connected to a water supply system to be used in controlling the water flow.

Uploaded

September 29th, 2014