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Temple-Church of Aphrodisias, also known as “Basilica of Aphrodisias” Davis, Elizabeth
Description
Aphrodisias is a UNESCO World Heritage site located near modern Geyre in southwestern Turkey. Although prehistoric human activity is attested at the site, the city proper was founded in the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE, rising up around the sanctuary of Aphrodite, the city's namesake goddess. Aphrodisias became part of the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BCE and enjoyed a period of growth and prosperity. In the 3rd century CE, the city became capital of the province of Caria, which was followed by a building boom. A small Christian presence existed in Aphrodisias by the end of the 3rd century CE, as a number of martyrs are attested from around the year 300. By 325, the city had its own bishop. Around the year 500 (dated from coins excavated from the foundation of the outer narthex), the temple of Aphrodite was converted into a Christian church. The temple was essentially turned 'inside out': the cella walls were dismantled and rebuilt as the outer walls of the church, supplemented with spolia from elsewhere in the city. The columns from the eastern and western colonnades were moved to align with the north and south rows, creating a large tripartite church with an apse to the east and narthexes at the west. This conversion was a massive physical and logistical effort, undertaken in a systematic, strategic, and precise manner-- column drums from the east and west colonnades were labeled for their exact re-erection. In the 10th or 11th century, the church was renovated: new floors were laid, a small chapel was constructed in the north aisle, a new sanctuary barrier was installed, and new paintings of Christ, Mary, archangels, saints/martyrs, and crosses were added in the synthronon passageway. The church was ultimately destroyed by fire in the late 12th century, likely a casualty of ongoing Seljuk raids in the Maeander valley. The archaeological evidence indicates that it remained in use until its destruction.
Item Metadata
| Title |
Temple-Church of Aphrodisias, also known as “Basilica of Aphrodisias”
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| Creator | |
| Contributor | |
| Publisher |
Database of Religious History (DRH)
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| Date Issued |
2023-03-02
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| Description |
Aphrodisias is a UNESCO World Heritage site located near modern Geyre in southwestern Turkey. Although prehistoric human activity is attested at the site, the city proper was founded in the late 2nd or early 1st century BCE, rising up around the sanctuary of Aphrodite, the city's namesake goddess. Aphrodisias became part of the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BCE and enjoyed a period of growth and prosperity. In the 3rd century CE, the city became capital of the province of Caria, which was followed by a building boom. A small Christian presence existed in Aphrodisias by the end of the 3rd century CE, as a number of martyrs are attested from around the year 300. By 325, the city had its own bishop. Around the year 500 (dated from coins excavated from the foundation of the outer narthex), the temple of Aphrodite was converted into a Christian church. The temple was essentially turned 'inside out': the cella walls were dismantled and rebuilt as the outer walls of the church, supplemented with spolia from elsewhere in the city. The columns from the eastern and western colonnades were moved to align with the north and south rows, creating a large tripartite church with an apse to the east and narthexes at the west. This conversion was a massive physical and logistical effort, undertaken in a systematic, strategic, and precise manner-- column drums from the east and west colonnades were labeled for their exact re-erection. In the 10th or 11th century, the church was renovated: new floors were laid, a small chapel was constructed in the north aisle, a new sanctuary barrier was installed, and new paintings of Christ, Mary, archangels, saints/martyrs, and crosses were added in the synthronon passageway. The church was ultimately destroyed by fire in the late 12th century, likely a casualty of ongoing Seljuk raids in the Maeander valley. The archaeological evidence indicates that it remained in use until its destruction.
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| Subject | |
| Genre | |
| Type | |
| Language |
eng
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| Date Available |
2023-12-08
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| Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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| Rights |
Attribution 4.0 International
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| DOI |
10.14288/1.0438193
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| URI | |
| Affiliation | |
| Citation |
Elizabeth Davis. (2023). Temple-Church of Aphrodisias. Database of Religious History, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia.
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| Peer Review Status |
Unreviewed
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| Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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| Rights URI | |
| Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International