Geyre: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

Now in Geyre--:--:--

--°

Aphrodisias grew rich on two things: the goddess of love, whose temple drew pilgrims, and the white marble in the hills behind it, which made its sculptors famous across the Roman world. The village of Geyre once stood among the ruins, and serious digging began only in 1961. This walk is a loop through the site from the museum. Allow two to three hours, and start early in summer; it is a wide, open site.

A short history of Geyre

Geyre is a small village that grew up on the ruins of Aphrodisias, a city named after the goddess of love, which in the Roman period became famous for a school of sculpture that flourished thanks to nearby marble quarries. For centuries the villagers lived inside the ancient city, until under the excavation programme their houses were moved to a new site nearby. Systematic excavations began in 1961 under the archaeologist Kenan Erim, who worked at the site until his death in 1990 and is buried there. In 2017 Aphrodisias was declared a World Heritage Site.

The ten best sights in Geyre

1
Aphrodisias Museum
Start here: the city's sculptors are the reason Aphrodisias is famous
2
Sebasteion
Carved panels of emperors and gods, many back in place on the walls
3
Tetrapylon
The gate everyone photographs; the excavator of the site is buried beside it
4
Aphrodisias Stadium
Walk to the far end of the site for it — easy to miss, and the best preserved part
5
Aphrodisias Theatre
Look at the wall behind the stage, covered in inscribed letters
6
Temple of Aphrodite
The goddess's temple, later turned into a church
7
Hierapolis
The Roman spa city on top of the white terraces; 45 minutes east
8
Hierapolis Museum
Inside the Roman baths; sarcophagi and statues from Hierapolis
9
Laodicea
A big site under excavation near Denizli, much quieter than Pamukkale
10
Pamukkale Travertines
Shoes off on the travertine; come at sunset, when the white turns pink

sleepntripWonders of the world12 wonders, and a hotel near each

For every wonder: a nearby city, a route and a hotel up to $80.

To the wonders

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Geyre →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Geyre:

Free walking tours in Geyre

The city of Aphrodite

Aphrodisias Museum · Aphrodisias had its own school of sculptors working the marble from quarries a couple of kilometres away, and statues signed by Aphrodisian artists have been found as far as Rome. Since 2017 the site and its quarries are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sebasteion · The building was dedicated in the 1st century AD to Augustus and his successors. One of its panels shows the emperor Claudius overpowering a woman who stands for Britannia, the province he had just conquered.
Aphrodisias Theatre · The 'archive wall' behind the stage is covered with official letters, including ones from Octavian, the future Augustus, rewarding the city for its loyalty with freedom and exemption from taxes.
Civil Basilica · Fragments of the emperor Diocletian's Edict of Maximum Prices of 301 AD were found here — a list setting the highest legal price of everything from wheat to a lion.
Tetrapylon · The gate stood at the entrance to the sanctuary of Aphrodite. Kenan Erim, who led the excavations from 1961 until his death in 1990, is buried on the lawn beside it.
Aphrodisias Stadium · About 270 m long with seats for around 30,000, it is one of the best-preserved stadiums of the ancient world. In late antiquity its east end was closed off into a small arena for shows.

White terraces and the city of the dead

Hot springs rich in lime have been running down this hillside for thousands of years, coating it in white stone. The Romans built Hierapolis on top as a spa town, with temples, a gate to the underworld and one of the largest cemeteries of Asia Minor. This route is a day trip east, about 45 minutes each way. Go up in the afternoon, walk the site first and come down over the terraces at sunset.

Hierapolis Necropolis · More than a thousand tombs line the road into the city. One Jewish tomb carries the will of a man named Publius Aelius Glykon, leaving money for his grave to be decorated each year at Passover and at Shavuot.
Martyrion of Saint Philip · The octagonal shrine was built in the 5th century for the apostle Philip, said to have been martyred in Hierapolis. In 2011 Italian archaeologists announced they had found his tomb in a church nearby.
Plutonium · Ancient writers described this cave as a gate to the underworld whose breath killed any animal led in. The 'breath' is carbon dioxide from the ground; Italian archaeologists identified the site in 2013.
Antique Pool · The pool is fed by the same spring that made the terraces, and the marble columns lying on its floor fell in an earthquake.
Hierapolis Museum · The museum is housed inside the Roman baths of the city, among the biggest buildings of Hierapolis, and its vaulted halls are part of the exhibit.
Pamukkale Travertines · Hierapolis and Pamukkale became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, and the hotels that had been built on top of the terraces were later demolished to let the springs recover.

Weavers, potters and a lukewarm church

Away from the two famous sites this is farming country of cotton, figs and small market towns, each known for a craft. This loop leaves Geyre west through the pottery town of Karacasu, crosses the Menderes valley and comes back by the weaving town of Buldan and the ruins of Laodicea. A long day of close to 300 km: pick half if you are driving on the next morning.

Geyre · The village's name comes from Caria, the name of the late Roman province whose capital was Aphrodisias. After an earthquake in 1956 the houses that stood among the ruins were moved here, which made the excavation possible.
Karacasu · Karacasu has long been known for its potters, who make unglazed red earthenware jugs and water pots from the local clay.
Nysa · The geographer Strabo studied at Nysa as a young man, and the city is built on both sides of a gorge, with a Roman tunnel carrying the stream under its centre.
Nazilli · Nazilli's cotton print factory, opened in 1937 in the presence of Atatürk, was one of the first big state textile mills of the young republic.
Buldan · Buldan is a weaving town: its thin cotton cloth, Buldan bezi, is still woven on looms in the town and sold in shops along the main street.
Laodicea · Laodicea is the church that the Book of Revelation calls 'lukewarm'. Cicero records that the governor Flaccus seized gold that the city's Jews had collected for the Temple in Jerusalem.

sleepntripMystery worldPlaces whose story is not over yet

The moai, the Nazca lines, Göbekli Tepe and more.

To the mystery world

Getting to Geyre and getting around

Karacasu Bus Station · The nearest bus stop of any size, 10 km west; dolmuşes to Nazilli
Nazilli Station · Trains on the İzmir–Denizli line stop here; about 45 minutes from Geyre
Denizli Station · Next to the Denizli bus station; the hub for Pamukkale

Cheap eats in Geyre

This is inland Anatolia, and the food is plain and filling: lentil soup, pide, köfte, gözleme off a griddle and ayran to drink. Geyre itself has little beyond its pensions, Karacasu has the shops, and Pamukkale village has the most choice. Eating out costs a fraction of what it does on the coast.

Anatolia Restaurant · Village cooking in Geyre, about 250-450 lira
Afrodisias Restaurant · Grills and salads by the site entrance, about 300-500 lira
Traverten Pide · Pide in Pamukkale village, about 200-350 lira
As Teras Mantı Evi · A plate of mantı with yoghurt, about 250-400 lira
Hacı Kadir'in Yeri · Tea and gözleme in Pamukkale, about 100-250 lira

Museums in Geyre

Aphrodisias Museum · Sculpture of the Aphrodisian school; an hour
Sebasteion · The imperial reliefs; best in the morning light
Hierapolis Museum · In the Roman baths at Pamukkale
Laodicea · Colonnaded streets and churches under excavation

Nature and day trips near Geyre

Pamukkale Travertines · Barefoot on white stone; sunset is the time
Plutonium · The 'gate of hell' cave inside Hierapolis
Karacasu Dam · A reservoir in the hills; a picnic stop
Kemer Dam · A long lake in a valley south-west of Karacasu

Things to do in Geyre with kids

Antique Pool · Swim among fallen marble columns
Aphrodisias Stadium · Race the length of a Roman track
Pamukkale Travertines · Paddling in the warm white pools
Tetrapylon · A gate to walk through and count the columns

Where to eat in Geyre

Ottoman House · Dinner in Pamukkale village, below the terraces
Harbiye Restaurant · Turkish dishes and grills in Pamukkale
Onur Restaurant · Simple family restaurant in Pamukkale
Natural Terrace · A terrace with a view of the white slope
Anatolia Restaurant · Dinner back in Geyre, at the pension table

sleepntripFree with every roomThree audio walks in every city

A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

To the walks

Frequently asked questions about Geyre

What is there to see in Geyre?

The top sights in Geyre are Aphrodisias Museum, Sebasteion and Tetrapylon. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Geyre?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Geyre without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Geyre?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Geyre, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The city of Aphrodite.

How do you get to Geyre and get around?

The main ways are Karacasu Bus Station, Nazilli Station and Denizli Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Geyre, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Geyre that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Geyre for your dates?

Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.

All hotels in Geyre

Plan a trip across TürkiyeBetween two continents→