ANKARA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish archaeologists have unearthed a pair of 2,000-year-old statues depicting the Greek deities Zeus and Aphrodite, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced Monday.
The statues, dating to the Roman imperial era, were discovered at a complex containing two-story shops and a stoa -- a columned gallery -- in the ancient city of Aspendos, located in southern Antalya province, said Ersoy in a post published on social media platform X.
This discovery comes amid ongoing large-scale excavations in Aspendos.
Ersoy previously stated in March that only 2 percent of the ancient city has been unearthed since work began in 2013 and the Turkish government aims to excavate, restore, and repair 30 percent of the city within the next four years.
The initial phase of the project focuses on the western excavation area, specifically the complex containing the two-story shops and stoa, according to the minister. ■
