During the Roman Imperial period the rich marble quarries of Anatolia were exploited by the state. On the widespread use of marble the splendid cities of antiquity were created.
For the Romans it was considered important to decorate the fa?ade of structures. With this aim they created a rich sculpture. Niches on external and internal faces became the principal areas of large-scale sculptural carving.
In this hall there are examples from three important centres in the ancient world where this kind of sculpture came to flourish : Aphrodisias, Ephesus and Miletus.
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