I visited this WHS in Spring 2021 as an early day trip from Pamukkale. Unlike some other WHS and tWHS with a few or no intact remains, Aphrodisias has many monumental remains that are more or less intact and in very good condition. Even the huge amount of statues in the museum are in very good condition when compared to those in other museums which usually are missing some of their body parts.

Aphrodisias is quite a large WHS and even if you opt for a quick visit you'll surely need a couple of hours to cover the main sites and the excellent museum well. Ever since the tetrapylon of Palmyra was destroyed, I set my eyes on visiting the tetrapylon of Aphrodisias. The best time for photograpy is in the early morning when the sunlight shines on the intricate details of the remaining decoration of the tetrapylon. The monumental gateway built around 200 AD stands at the end of an ancient road that leads from the main north-south street of the town into a large forecourt in front of the Sanctuary or Temple of Aphrodite. The character of the temple building was altered when it became a Christian basilica. This temple was a focal point of the town. The Aphrodisian sculptors became renowned and benefited from a plentiful supply of marble. Many full-length statues were discovered in the region of the agora, and trial and unfinished pieces pointing to a true school are in evidence near the site entrance, inside the museum and just outside the museum. Sarcophagi were recovered in various locations, most frequently decorated with designs consisting of festoons and columns. Pilasters have been found showing what are described as "peopled scrolls" with figures of people, birds and animals entwined in acanthus leaves.

This ornate type of decoration can also be admired at the mask and garland frieze. These blocks were part of the extensive friezes that once decorated the Ionic colonnades in the city centre of Aphrodisias. They ran around the North Agora and the Place of Palms, inside the basilica and across the East Propylon. The garlands are tied with ribbons over theatre masks representing characters from popular drama. Various categories of gods, citizens, slaves, soldiers and athletes can be identified in the masks. The garlands are composed of leaves and fruits, including apples, grapes, pomegranates, acorns, ivy berries and pine cones, evoking prosperity and community celebration. Most of the surviving frieze blocks come from the North Stoa of the Place of Palms, dedicated to the Roman Emperor Tiberius by a local benefactor known as Diogenes, son of Menandros. The frieze blocks were excavated mainly in 1937 and taken to the Iżmir Archaeological Museum. However, these were returned to Aphrodisias in 2009.

Another highlight of Aphrodisias is the Sebasteion or Augusteum, which according to a 1st century inscription on its propylon was jointly dedicated "To Aphrodite, the Divine Augusti and the People". A relief found in the ruins of the south portico represented a personification of the polis making sacrifice to the cult image of Aphrodite of Aphrodisias. This connection between the goddess and the imperial house was also a particularly politic one at the time, as the Gens Julia – the family of Julius Caesar, Octavian Augustus, and their immediate successors – claimed divine descent from Venus/Aphrodite. The Sebasteion was the temple dedicated to the worship of the early Roman emperors. Its main components were a temple and a 90 metre long processional avenue flanked by three storey colonnaded buildings. The second and third storeys of these buildings were decorated with life-size relief panels. More than 80 of the original 200 reliefs were found lying where they fell when the buildings collapsed. The restored part of the South building uses the original architectural blocks with replicas of the reliefs. Most of the original reliefs are now displayed in the museum.

Solivagant has especially focused on the huge stadium so I won't go in further detail. The same tractor seems to still be used! Make sure not to miss the Bouleuterion (council house) or Odeon, which is centered on the north side of the North Agora, with a seating capacity estimated at about 1,750 people. Upon careful inspection here as well as in the Roman theatre, you'll be able to spot cute ancient graffiti etched in some of the "seats". All in all I believe this WHS surely deserves its place on the WH list and is truly one of Turkey's most important and well-preserved archaeological sites. When I visited early in the morning I had the place all to myself, except for the company of some friendly squirrels, tortoises and birds.