Turkish archaeologists, having explored an area of 1600 square meters in the Izmir Province, discovered 35 prehistoric settlements. The main find was the Temple of Aphrodite, dating back to the 6th century BC, RIA Novosti reports.
Head of the excavation Elif Koparal of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University informed that scientists could obtain a number of evidences of the vast socio-economic structure of that period.
“While exploring the surface, we discovered the Temple of Aphrodite, built in the 6th century BC. At that time, the goddess of love and beauty was one of the most revered. This is an amazing and impressive find”, Koparal said.
The first traces of the temple were discovered by the group back in 2016. The expedition head emphasized that during the excavations, scientists actively cooperated with local residents, who helped protect the historical values from being plundered by smugglers and illegal treasure hunters.