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A 1,800-year-old marble statue group depicting Asklepios, the ancient god associated with medicine and health, alongside his son and assistant Telesphoros, has been unearthed at the ancient city of Aspendos in Antalya.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the discovery through a video shared on his X account, saying the find came to light during excavations carried out under the "Heritage for the Future" project.
Standing 2.2 meters tall, the statue group was found among the collapsed remains of the northern section of a monumental gate on the western side of the Eastern Square along Theater Street.
The work dates back to the final quarter of the second century A.D., during the Roman Imperial Period. The posture of the figures, the folds of their clothing and the detailed treatment of Asklepios' face, hair and beard reflect the sculptural style of the period.
In ancient belief, Asklepios represented medicine, treatment and the protection of health, while Telesphoros symbolized the completion of treatment, recovery and convalescence, the period during which a patient gradually regains strength after an illness.
By bringing the two figures together, the sculpture portrays the healing process as a whole, stretching from medical treatment to complete recovery.
Ersoy said the discovery had brought forward new information about healing cults, religious beliefs and social life in ancient Aspendos.
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