Byzantine architectural sculpture in Afyonkarahisar

The aim of this study is to find and define Byzantine architectural sculpture in Afyonkarahisar region, which has many Antique settlements alongside the precious marble quarries and attached ateliers. All 18 districts (Başmakçı, Bayat, Bolvadin, Çay, Çobanlar, Dazkırı, Dinar, Emirdağ, Evciler, Hocalar, İhsaniye, İscehisar, Kızılören, Merkez, Sandıklı, Sinanpaşa, Sultandağı, Şuhut) of Afyonkarahisar were visited and 263 piece of architectural and liturgical plastics found throughout the surveys. Column bases and capitals are the densest group in structural elements, while chancel barrier components -like epistyles and screens- were leading group in liturgical elements. Architectural sculptures found during the surveys are mostly made of Dokimeion marble, which unique colour and fine-grained surface makes it easily recognizable. This visible dense in number of Dokimeion products shows that, stonemasonry ateliers of the region were highly active during Early and Middle Byzantine Periods and there is no traceable evidence of any chronologic interruption. It is clear that ornamental repertoire was local, but products like Composite and Impost capitals can only be compared with the contemporary examples in Constantinople.