Pictures & images of Aslankaya Phrygian rock temple monument, Phrygian Valley, Emre Lake, near Döğer, Turkey. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. Dating from the 7th century BC the Aslankaya rock Temple is the most important surviving rock monument and open-air temple of Phrygians. The Aslankaya sanctuary was dedicated to the goddess Cybele, an important Phrygian goddess. The Aslankaya temple is carved out of a conical rock formation and its facade is decorated with relief sculptures. On the triangular roof over the facade are two sphinxes (winged figures with the head of a human and the body of a lion), facing one another, take place. On the main facade, below the sphinxes in a recessed niche, there used to be a cult statue of Cybele or the Great Mother was flanked by two lions. Due to vandalism the statue of Cybele has been destroyed and the 2 standing lion reliefs badly damaged. This main facade is ornamented with relief geometrical patterns. The Aslankaya Temple was discovered by William M. Ramsey, a Scottish archaeologist who described it in 1884 bringing it to the attention of western historians for the first time. The temple stands alone near the shores of Lake Emre next to an ancient track at GPS coordinates: 39.105499, 30.429701.

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