Herakleia Salbake

The city is in the borders of the Vakıf village that is 10 km to the north-west of Tavas District. The population is dence in the region surrounded with the water in the north. Herakleia Salbake is located at the skirts of the Babadağ mountain range separating the Caria and Phrygia regions indicated in archaic geography and looking to the current Tavas Plain. It is known as Caria city. Heraklia and Aphrodisias are separated by Tmelos (Kırkpınar) Brook as a natural border.

The river god of both cities is Tmelos. Heraklia is close to and peer of the cities Aphrodisias in its west, Apolloia and Tabai in its south and Sebastopolis and Kidrama in its south-east. No information could be obtained from the archaic sources about the first establishment of the city. The important buildings of the city are: a Roman Period city wall surrounding the city and the a stadium.

A Stadium

It is between the wall surrounding the archaic city and the current Vakıf Village. Some steps belonging to the stadium in the east - west direction can be seen on the slopes. The steps in the western side are completely destroyed.

Heraklia Hieron

It is 4 km to the east of Herakleia Salbake archaic city and 1 km to the north-eastern of the current Tavas - Kızılcabölük town, at the location called as Ören Sırtı and Kocapınar location. Hieron, which is located on the slope of Salbakos (Babadağ), has a shape of a rectangular prism. Its four sides are surrounded with a relief consisting of plates. Here, mythological scenes relating to Artemis, Apollo, Pan, Dionysus and Herakles are shown.