Five statues unearthed in Perge

ISTANBUL

Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums announced that five statues from different periods have been unearthed during excavations carried out as part of the “Heritage for the Future Project” in the ancient city of Perge.

In a post shared on the General Directorate’s social media account, it was stated that the statue of Aphrodite, approximately 2 meters high, forms a unity with a depiction of the god of love, Eros, sitting on a dolphin at its base. Initial examinations suggest that this statue is a Roman Imperial period replica dating back to the second century A.D.

The post also noted that another statue found right next to the Aphrodite statue is a draped female figure standing at 187 centimeters tall. According to initial assessments, this statue exhibits characteristics of the Severan period. Additionally, another draped female statue with similar features was unearthed in two pieces in the same area.

The other two statues were discovered side by side during excavation work on the city's eastern street, one depicting a draped female figure and the other a draped male figure.

These discoveries provide new information about Perge’s sculptural tradition, shedding light on the social structure and artistic production processes of the period.