The Agora of Aphrodisias is one of the most important public spaces of the ancient city. The agora was not only a marketplace where trade took place, but also a central square where people gathered, ceremonies were held, social relations developed, and the daily life of the city took shape. When considered together with the Odeon, the Portico of Tiberius, the Urban Park, the Baths of Hadrian, the theater, and the Agora Gate, this area clearly reveals the advanced public urban planning of Aphrodisias.

The planning and construction of the agora area are generally associated with the late 1st century BCE. The structure is located south of the Odeon, in one of the busiest parts of the city center. In its original form, the area was surrounded by colonnaded galleries. Today, some of the columns with Ionic capitals can still be seen, especially at the western and eastern corners. Rising beside the poplar trees, these columns create one of the most impressive views of Aphrodisias when seen from the upper parts of the theater.

Location and Public Function of the Agora

In ancient cities, the agora was one of the main spaces used for commerce, gatherings, walking, conversation, and public representation. The Agora of Aphrodisias was also arranged as a large square that fulfilled these functions. With its east-west layout extending over approximately 200 meters and its colonnaded galleries, the agora became one of the commercial and social centers of the city.

From the late 1st century BCE onward, the agora was used not only as a marketplace but also as a popular meeting and gathering space. People shopped here, exchanged news, learned official announcements, and participated in the public life of the city. In this respect, the Agora of Aphrodisias should be regarded as one of the living centers of the ancient city.

The area was bordered by long porticoes to the north and south. These porticoes provided sheltered circulation spaces in sunny and rainy weather, while also giving the square a monumental appearance. It is thought that construction of the northern portico may have begun earlier than its southern counterpart. The southern colonnaded section is traditionally known as the Portico of Tiberius.

The Portico of Tiberius

The Portico of Tiberius is related to the southern boundary of the agora and the broad colonnaded area to the south. During the excavations carried out in 1937, dedicatory inscriptions honoring the emperor Tiberius were found on frieze and architrave blocks belonging to this portico. Thanks to these inscriptions, it is understood that the portico was completed during the reign of Tiberius and dedicated to him.

This section is one of the important areas showing the architectural and artistic richness of Aphrodisias. The columns, Ionic capitals, and marble decorations of the portico contributed to the monumental appearance of the city during the Roman period. Seen from the theater, these columns rising together with the poplar trees still form one of the most characteristic views of the ancient city today.

The Portico of Tiberius was not merely an architectural boundary. It was also an important transitional element connecting the North Agora with the broad colonnaded area to the south. For this reason, the portico shows that the public spaces in the center of Aphrodisias were designed as an interconnected system.

Friezes, Masks, and Garland Decorations

During the 1937 excavations, many decorated frieze blocks were uncovered around the Portico of Tiberius. These blocks include heads evoking women, men, and sacred figures, as well as masks, garlands, and mythological decorations. This rich decorative program shows that Aphrodisian marble craftsmen reached a high artistic level not only in large sculptures but also in architectural decoration.

Mask and garland friezes are among the most striking examples of Aphrodisian art. Fruit garlands, theatrical masks, divine figures, heroes, athletes, and heads resembling different social types gave the area visual richness. These decorations suggest that the agora was not only a commercial area, but also a lively public space used for festivals, ceremonies, walking, and social representation.

Excavations and analyses show that the northern colonnade was completed in the first half of the 1st century CE. The western end of this colonnade appears to have been repaired in later periods. Due to earthquakes and structural damage, some parts of the agora were renewed over time, while some architectural elements were reused.

The Urban Park and the Southern Colonnaded Area

The broad colonnaded area south of the agora was often called the South Agora in older publications. In current research, however, this area is interpreted not only as a marketplace but more accurately as an Urban Park or the “Place of Palms.” This interpretation is supported by the long pool in the center of the area, the surrounding porticoes, and evidence of planted vegetation.

A long pool is located at the center of this broad area. Older accounts mention a pool in the middle of the agora. In current interpretations, this pool is especially associated with the southern colonnaded area, that is, the Urban Park. The pool shows that water was used as both an aesthetic and functional element. When the cooling effect of water is considered together with the shade provided by the porticoes, it becomes clear that this space may also have been used for walking and resting.

For this reason, it would be incomplete to interpret the agora and colonnaded areas in the center of Aphrodisias only through commerce. Shopping, gathering, walking, resting, ceremony, and visual representation were all intertwined here.

The Agora Gate

The monumental structure at the eastern end of the agora is traditionally known as the Agora Gate. In current research, this structure is more often called the Propylon of Diogenes. It stands at the eastern edge of the east-west public area and connects with Tetrapylon Street.

The Agora Gate had a two-story, columned, and niched monumental façade. Vaulted passages were located on both sides of the structure. With these features, the building was not merely a simple entrance point, but a grand façade that strengthened the architectural representation of the city.

Older texts state that the structure was built after the 2nd century CE. Current research, however, dates its first phase to the late 1st century CE. It is clear that the building underwent various changes in later centuries. Therefore, the Agora Gate should be evaluated as a multilayered structure that gained different functions from the Roman period to Late Antiquity.

Transformation of the Agora Gate into a Nymphaeum

After earthquakes and flooding problems, the function of the Agora Gate changed. In Late Antiquity, a pool was added in front of the structure, and the building was transformed into a nymphaeum, meaning a monumental fountain arrangement. During this transformation, terracotta pipes were used to direct water into the pool.

The inscriptions on the pool and the architectural arrangements show that this change can be dated to the 5th century, after the earthquakes of the 4th century. This new arrangement reveals that the Agora Gate was no longer only a transitional façade, but also a monumental urban element connected with water architecture.

This transformation shows that Aphrodisias adapted its public spaces to new needs in Late Antiquity. Buildings were not simply abandoned after damage. In many cases, they continued to be used with new functions.

Reliefs and Reused Sculptures

Many sculptures and reliefs that once decorated the niches of the Agora Gate were reused in later arrangements, including the construction of pool walls or nearby structures. Such examples of reuse show that parts of earlier monuments were incorporated into new architectural contexts in Late Antiquity.

Among these reliefs are mythological battle scenes such as Centauromachy, Gigantomachy, and Amazonomachy. Centauromachy depicts the battle between centaurs and Lapiths. Gigantomachy represents the battle between gods and giants. Amazonomachy shows the conflict between Amazons and Greek heroes.

These scenes are powerful visual narratives representing order, victory, heroism, and civilization in the ancient world. Aphrodisian craftsmen carved these scenes in marble with a high level of technical skill. The later association of these reliefs with the Agora Gate and fountain arrangement shows that older mythological images continued to live on with new meanings in the later urban setting.

The Relationship Between the Agora, Odeon, and City Center

The agora is connected to the Odeon from the north by a small entrance structure. This connection shows how closely the political and social spaces of the city were planned together. The Odeon was a roofed building where the city council met and cultural events were held. The agora, on the other hand, was one of the centers of daily public life, trade, and social encounters.

The entrance arrangement on the eastern side of the agora, together with monumental passage structures whose jambs and lintel still survive, completed the circulation system of the city center. When the theater, Odeon, Agora, Urban Park, Baths of Hadrian, and Agora Gate are considered together, it becomes clear that the public spaces of Aphrodisias formed a connected and planned whole.

This unity shows that Aphrodisias had an advanced understanding of urban planning. In the city center, commerce, ceremony, water architecture, representation, assembly, and rest came together along the same axis.

Conclusion

The Agora of Aphrodisias, the Portico of Tiberius, and the Agora Gate are essential structures for understanding the public life of the ancient city. The agora, whose planning began in the late 1st century BCE, became one of the central squares of Aphrodisias with its colonnaded galleries, Ionic capitals, marble decorations, and social functions.

The Portico of Tiberius reflects the artistic richness of the city through its dedicatory inscriptions to the emperor, frieze blocks, masks, and garland decorations. The Agora Gate, with its monumental façade, niches, vaulted passages, and later transformation into a nymphaeum in Late Antiquity, shows the architectural continuity of Aphrodisias.

Today, this area is one of the most impressive parts of Aphrodisias, with its columns rising among poplar trees, broad square layout, and monumental remains visible from the theater. The agora and its surroundings are a valuable archaeological heritage area showing how commerce, gathering, representation, and water architecture were intertwined in the ancient city.