Not much has remained of the ancient Carian city of Herakleia Salbake. The name Herakleia is derived from the demigod Heracles. The sparse remains of the city border directly on the houses on the northern outskirts of the village Vakif, 13 km west of Tavas in the province Denizli. As the city of Aphrodisias, 25 km away as the crow flies, gained in importance through a good relationship with Rome and a large temple of Aphrodite, Herakleia Salbake and the surrounding Carian cities such as Apollonia Salbake, Sebastopolis, Tabai and Kidrama lost importance.

The former city has hardly been explored, most of the ancient buildings have been used over the centuries to build the village's houses. Remaining are some rows of seats of the stadium and a few remains of the city wall from Roman times. In September 2015 some artifacts could still be discovered in the backyards. Locals reported particularly beautiful pieces that only recently "disappeared" in a miraculous way.

Socle with Greek inscription in a farmer's yard

4 km from Vakif, north of the village of Kizilcabölük on the Salbakos (Babadag) lies the former temple district of Herakleia Salbake with the so-called Heroon, a sanctuary for Heracles, Apollon and Artemis. The excavation site is fenced and strictly guarded.
All four sides of the heroon were crowned with a plate relief. It depicts mythological scenes of Artemis, Apollo, Pan, Dionysos and Heracles. Parts of this relief can be visited on site.