There are two sites that are of particular interest to those of us who are fascinated by the ancient stone and marble cities and monuments. Aphrodisias, dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, was a gathering point for the intellectuals of the Roman Empire, but it was also known as a center for stone sculpture. Ephesus, once a thriving commercial port city on the Aegean, today offers visitors the most complete ruins of any Roman Empire site.

With marble quarries only a short distance away and supplies readily available, the city was known for its sculpture and ornamental carvings. Archaeological excavations located a stone sculptor's workshop at the heart of the city, where a set of stone-carving tools and a large quantity of sculpture in various stages of completion were found. The finds in the workshop indicated that the sculptors probably specialized in portraits and works in a range of sizes from statuette to larger than life. Other excavations uncovered statues of gods, emperors, and philosophers as well as grave reliefs from the 2nd century BC and statues of the last Roman governors of the 6th century.