White marble was extracted from several quarries around the city of Aphrodisias, in north-eastern Karia in Asia Minor. The main source was the so-called City Quarries, just 2 km north of the city, where relatively soft, medium grained white and mottled grey marbles were extracted. These materials were mainly used for architecture and especially high-quality statuary in Aphrodisias itself. Finished statuary from the city was widely exported, though, and Aphrodisian carvers also imported this material when they settled overseas. Recently a source of very fine-grained white and black marble was identified at Göktepe, 40 km to the south-west of Aphrodisias. Marble from these quarries was certainly used at Aphrodisias but it was also employed by Aphrodisian carvers exporting works or working overseas, as shown by sculptures in this material at Rome signed by Aphrodisians.
