Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that a marble statue of Hermes had been uncovered at Aspendos, an ancient Greco-Roman city in southern Türkiye's Antalya.
In a statement on his social media account on Monday, Ersoy said: "In Aspendos, the silent witness of time, figures that have been buried for centuries have come to light. During the ongoing excavations within the scope of our Future Heritage project, a statue of Hermes from the Roman Imperial Period was uncovered. Headpieces of Aphrodite and Eros, as well as statue fragments of Artemis and Nemesis, were also discovered in the same area."
Ersoy thanked the staff of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums for their efforts in the project and expressed his hope that, once restored, these works will benefit the country and its cultural and tourism sectors.
According to a statement from the ministry, the marble statue was found amid the ruins of a monumental fountain (nymphaion) located on the southern side of the entrance gate, east of the Theater Street at Aspendos Ancient City, where excavations began in 2024.
The uncovered statue depicts Hermes, known as the fastest of the gods, and the messenger of the king of the gods, Zeus.
In Greek mythology, Hermes is recognized as the god of roads, trade, hospitality, diplomacy, sports and astronomy. He is also defined as the protector of thieves, merchants, flocks and shepherds.
The statue portrays Hermes holding a kerykeion (staff) in his left hand, with a money pouch in his right hand and a cloak hanging from his shoulder. At his left foot, there is a ram figure facing Hermes.
The statue, standing on a pedestal with an inscription, shows Hermes with his weight placed on his left foot, while his right foot is slightly bent at the knee and moved forward.
The statue, which was found in pieces during the excavation, was nearly fully restored and assessed in its unified form in the excavation house's storage. With its pedestal, the statue reaches a total height of 1.65 meters and is dated to the Roman Imperial Period (late second century – early third century A.D.) based on its stylistic features.
In the same area where the Hermes statue was found, heads believed to belong to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, and Eros, the god of love, were also uncovered. It was noted that these statues were crafted in a regional artistic style that reflects the aesthetic understanding of the time.
As part of the Future Heritage project, other body fragments believed to belong to Artemis, the goddess of hunting, wild nature, animals and nature, as well as Nemesis, the symbol of justice, balance, fate and revenge, were also uncovered in the same area during the 2024 excavation season.
