Turkey｜Afrodisias (Aphrodisias)

Near Pamukkale, there’s an incredibly atmospheric ancient ruin—the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. 🏛️✨ There’s no public transport here, so renting a car is the most convenient option. Since I didn’t rent one, I had to rely on my classic hitchhiking skills—catching three rides, including a ride on a farmer’s tractor! 🚜😂 Aphrodite is her Greek name, while her Roman counterpart is Venus (though some argue they’re not entirely the same). 🌊🐚 According to myth, Venus was born from a seashell, so you’ll find many shell-shaped reliefs scattered around Afrodisias. It’s said that during Roman times, many sculptors gathered here to build this city, hosting annual festivals and celebrations in honor of the goddess of beauty. 🎭🍷 Imagine the wild feasts and drunken revelries! With so few tourists around, wandering through the ruins, I couldn’t help but fantasize about the surreal, magical scenes of ancient residents partying among these very structures a thousand years ago. 💃🔥 The site includes various functional areas—baths, a library, a stadium, a theater, a plaza—and many exquisitely decorated statues have been collected indoors in an on-site museum. 🏺📚 Visiting Afrodisias was an absolute delight, sparking my imagination and transporting me back to the ancient world. 🌍❤️ By the time I finished exploring, it was already evening. I hadn’t thought much about how to get back, so I stood by the roadside for half an hour, trying to hitch a ride. Luckily, an Afghan guy picked me up! 🚗💨 He was a Pashtun, an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, with mixed Persian and Mongolian ancestry. He’d been in Turkey for seven years, working as an AC mechanic, and was heading back to Denizli. To thank him, I treated him to grilled lamb—he was so humble about it! 🍖😊 Over dinner, he mentioned he was attending a friend’s wedding the next day and invited me to join. 🎉🤵 #Turkey #TurkishTravel #Pamukkale #Denizli #Aphrodite #Venus #WorldHeritage #Afrodisias #Hitchhiking #Ruins #Museum