Pergamon

Pergamon

Türkiye · İzmir

Ancient cityExcavation ongoingUNESCO · 2014
Approximate periodHellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman See on the map ↓

In brief

The acropolis above the Bakırçay Plain was the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty. Layers from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods are also present in and around the city.

What was found?

  • 1Reliefs of the Bergama Altar

    The monumental altar's reliefs were among the principal works investigated at the beginning of the excavations. They are an important group of finds for examining the city's sculpture and monumental decoration.

  • 2Acropolis theatre

    This is a monumental theatre set into the sloping terrain of the acropolis. It is one of the distinctive examples showing how buildings were adapted to steep slopes.

  • 3Gymnasium

    This is a physical education complex forming part of the city's monumental architectural arrangement. It documents the spaces set aside for education and physical activity in the Hellenistic city.

  • 4Asklepieion buildings

    These are the remains of buildings belonging to the ancient healing center of Bergama. They help us understand the city's identity as a center of health and healing in the Roman period.

What does it point to?

The theatre, gymnasium and sacred buildings show that sloping terrain was transformed into an extensive urban layout. The Asklepieion indicates the place of the search for healing in the city's religious and social life.

What did it teach us?

  1. Documented how Hellenistic urban planning was applied on steep and sloping terrain.
  2. Showed that buildings for performances, education and worship were arranged together in a dynastic capital.
  3. Uncovered the architecture of the Roman-period healing center.

Images

Zeus & Porphyrion, East Frieze, Gigantomachy Frieze, Pergamon Altar, Pergamon Museum, Berl
Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Acropolis theatre of Pergamon
Antoloji · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sanctuary of Athena - Pergamon, Bergama, Bergama District, İzmir Province, Turkey - Octobe
Giorgio Galeotti · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Temple of Trajan, Pergamon 01
Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Videos

Record

Culture
Attalid Kingdom, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman
First modern dig
1878
Team / historical
German Archaeological Institute
Coordinates
39.1258°, 27.1800°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. publications.dainst.org

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