These are the splendid heads of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, and of Dionysus, god of wine.
The coordinator of the excavations, Professor Gökhan Coşkun of the Kütahya Dumlupınar University, said that the bodies of the statues had already been found in a previous excavation and that the heads were unearthed during recent investigations in the ancient city stream bed.
According to Prof. Coşkun:
“These are important findings for us, as they show that the polytheistic belief culture of ancient Greece existed for a long time without losing its importance in the Roman era. The findings suggest that there may have been a sculpture workshop in the region”
Excavation coordinator told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the work in Aizanoi, a site which dates back 5,000 years, was carried on without interruption with 100 workers and 27 technical personnel.
In fact, you must know that in ancient times, the city of Aizanoi was a center comparable to the more famous Ephesus in size and importance. Initially inhabited by the Phrygians, the Romans made it a real city in the 1st century BC.
We can still admire today one of the best preserved temples in Turkey, four Roman bridges (two of which are still in use today), the first indoor market known in the world with the prices of the goods sold still visible on the walls thanks to the perfectly legible inscriptions , theaters, Roman baths and an ancient sacred cave.
With a history of over 5,000 years behind it – a few weeks ago also the news of the discovery of the statue of the Greek goddess Hygieia – Aizanoi has been included in the provisional list of UNESCO world heritage since 2012.