Aphrodisias Museum Opened in 1979, the Aphrodisias Museum displays only artifacts found during excavations in Aphrodisias. The majority of the artifacts are sculptures. The first museum built in Aphrodisias was very small. Later, instead of building a larger museum, the Ministry of Culture and the Monuments Board decided to build an annex to the old one, where the Sebastian sculptures would be displayed. Beneath the annex building are some relatively minor Roman and Byzantine walls. The interior of the museum is designed with a steel structure, intended to be supported on piles. The piles are positioned so as not to interfere with any wall remnants or trees. Steel supports, spaced 180 cm apart, are supported on steel beams spanning 5.40 m, suitable for Sebastian and the sculptures. Thus, everything can be seen from beneath the structure, which is suspended in the air. We know that a school of sculpture existed in Aphrodisias between the 1st century BC and the 5th century AD, producing very high-quality works. The marble was brought from quarries located 1 kilometer north of the city. The Aphrodisias Museum is one of the most unusual and remarkable museums known in western Anatolia. The monuments are displayed here as they were unearthed during the excavations. Examining and considering the findings in their original state is sufficient to understand the magnificence of these ancient monuments.The works of the ancient sculpture school of Aphrodisias, in particular, demonstrate the level of development of this art. The museum is accessed by turning right immediately after entering. The tondo busts on the wall opposite the sales area depict some famous ancient philosophers and statesmen. The next hall contains statues of emperors, portrait sculptures, portrait busts, and a unique sarcophagus with figures depicting the seasons. The reliefs displayed in the corridor belong to the tomb of Zoilus, the second founder of the city, and date to the Augustan period, known as the Second Classical Age. The Melpomene Hall displays statues of clothed statesmen, the goddess Melpomene, and Apollo. The hall displaying statues of boxers and seated artists is called the Odeon Hall. Unfinished sculptures are displayed in the corner before moving to another section. It is a world-class collection in terms of providing insights into sculpture techniques and stages of creation. The display cases exhibiting prehistoric materials found in the surrounding area and in Aphrodisias itself are similar to the previous wall display cases featuring coins and their stories. The hall named after the statue of Achilles and Pentasilia, inspired by the tragic story of the Trojan War, contains statues of Discophoros, young Heracles, and a Satyr carrying Dionysus. In the center of the next hall stands the cult statue of Aphrodite, the city's main goddess. Immediately behind this statue is Diogenes, the high priest of the Temple of Aphrodite, and to the right is a statue of his wife, Clodia Antonya Tatiana. The two statues on the left are priestly statues from the time of Emperor Constantine. The giant statue on the left represents Demos, the city's people.
