07.08.2026 14:02
During the excavation works carried out in the Ancient City of Aspendos within the scope of the Heritage for the Future Project, a marble statue group approximately 2.20 meters tall depicting the god of health Asclepius together with his son and assistant Telesphoros was unearthed.
During the excavation works carried out in the Ancient City of Aspendos within the scope of the Heritage for the Future Project, a marble statue group approximately 2.20 meters tall depicting the god of health Asclepius together with his son and helper Telesphorus was unearthed.
During the excavations conducted in the Ancient City of Aspendos within the scope of the Heritage for the Future Project, a marble statue group 2.20 meters tall depicting the god of health Asclepius together with his son Telesphorus, the symbol of healing, was found. The discovery, announced by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy on his social media account, revealed important data regarding the place of health and healing cults in urban life in Roman-era Aspendos.
"1,800-YEAR-OLD SYMBOL OF HEALING" The work from the Roman Imperial Period was found among the ruins of the north wing of the Monumental Gate located on the west facade of the Eastern Square on Theater Street.
The statue group dated to the last quarter of the 2nd century AD drew attention with its artistic features, detailed workmanship, and iconographic narrative symbolizing the process from the treatment of disease to full recovery.
Minister Ersoy announced the discovery with the words '1,800-year-old symbol of healing'.
"REFLECTS THE SCULPTURE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERIOD" Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy used the following statements in his post on his social media account regarding the statue group unearthed in Aspendos:
"The 1,800-year-old symbol of healing has come to light in Aspendos! Within the scope of our Heritage for the Future Project, we reached a marble statue group 2.20 meters tall depicting the god of health Asclepius together with his son and helper Telesphorus during the excavation works we carried out in the Ancient City. The work from the Roman Imperial Period was found among the ruins of the north wing of the Monumental Gate located on the west facade of the Eastern Square on Theater Street. The statue group dated to the last quarter of the 2nd century AD reflects the sculpture understanding of the period with the posture of the figures, the fold arrangement of the himation, the face type of Asclepius, and the intense workmanship in his hair and beard. In Antiquity, Asclepius represented medicine, treatment, and the preservation of health; Telesphorus, depicted with his long hooded garment, symbolized the completion of treatment, recovery, and the convalescence period. Therefore, the work carries the quality of a strong symbol that holistically describes the healing process extending from the treatment of disease to the complete recovery of the person. I thank our General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, our excavation team, and all our colleagues who contributed for this important discovery that provides new data on Aspendos's health cults, belief world, and social life."
SYMBOL OF RECOVERY Asclepius, who forms the main figure of the statue group, is depicted as a standing, front-facing, mature-aged man with long, thick hair and a beard. The figure, who places his body weight on his left leg, extends his right leg slightly bent forward and to the side.
While the upper body of Asclepius is largely left bare, his himation is arranged to pass over his left shoulder and create dense folds around his waist and legs. The figure grasps the himation folds with his left hand.
His right arm, which has not largely survived to the present day, is designed to lean on the snake-entwined staff, the most important symbol of the god. His mature, bearded, and solemn face carries the established iconographic features of Asclepius in the Roman Period.
In front of Asclepius's left foot, Telesphorus is depicted at a considerably smaller scale compared to the main figure. The child-like figure is recognized by his long, hooded garment that completely covers his body. This garment, which largely conceals anatomical details, gives the figure a columnar appearance.
TREATMENT AND RECOVERY
In Antiquity, Asclepius represented medicine, treatment, and the preservation of health. His son and helper Telesphorus was associated with the completion of the treatment process, recovery, and the successful conclusion of the convalescence period.
The statue group, where the two figures come together in the same composition, symbolizes not only the concept of health but also the healing process extending from the treatment of disease to the complete recovery of the person.
The positioning of Telesphorus at the foot of Asclepius reveals the cultic bond between the two figures while also completing the iconographic narrative of the statue.
RUINS OF THE MONUMENTAL GATE HID THE TRACES OF THE HEALING CULTURE The finding of the statue group among the ruins of the Monumental Gate connected to the Eastern Square indicates that the work was displayed in a part of the city of public and ceremonial importance.
The work is among the important archaeological data documenting the existence of the Asclepius cult in Roman-era Aspendos and the place of health belief in urban life. The depiction of Asclepius together with Telesphorus revealed that the concepts of treatment and recovery were addressed with a developed iconographic narrative in the city.
The posture of the figures, the fold arrangement of the himation, the face type of Asclepius, and the intensive drill workmanship in his hair and beard also reflect the distinctive features of Roman Period sculpture understanding.
The Asclepius and Telesphorus statue group, in addition to its artistic quality, carries the quality of an important archaeological find that allows for the joint evaluation of Aspendos's religious, social, and public life.