"Aphrodisias" Karacasu-Geyre by terrycowan

If you are into Greco-Roman ruins, then Aphrodisias is worth the drive. The site lies about 100 miles or so east of Kusadasi and Ephesus, and is somewhat off the main road. This can be an advantage, however. The ruins are every bit as impressive as those of Ephesus, yet you are not bothered by busloads of tourists from the cruise ships which dock at Kupadasi. The theatre, though smaller than the one in Ephesus, is in somewhat better state of preservation. Our guide explained that theatres were generally built to hold ten percent of a city's population. As this one could seat 7,000 people, archealogists estimate the city's population at 70,000 at its height. Aphrodite was the patron goddess of the city. Aphrodisias remained largely pagan for much longer than much of the surrounding area. The city did finally convert to Christianity and the temple was converted to a church. The evident architectural adaptation from pagan temple to Christian church is interesting to see. The greatest feature at Aphrodisias, however, is the Roman stadium. I am told that it is the best preserved of any that survive. Although the track is silted-up with several feet of soil accumulated through the centuries, you can still see the doorways where the wild beasts were let out into the stadium. The emperor's seat is clearly evident, and the rows of seats were apparently numbered, as is the case in modern stadiums.

• Pros:The best Greco-Roman ruins I've seen
• Cons:A little out-of-the-way
• In a nutshell:Worth the drive