About Pergamon Ancient City
Pergamon Ancient City (Acropolis)
Pergamon is the name of the ancient city located where the center of the Bergama district of Izmir province stands today. It is known that Pergamon was one of the important centers of the Mysia region in ancient times and was the capital of the Pergamon Kingdom between 282-133 BC. The ancient Pergamon settlement on the top of Kale Mountain represents the best example of Hellenistic period city planning with its monumental architecture. The Temple of Athena, Temple of Trajan, the steepest theater structure of the Hellenistic period, library, Heroon, Altar of Zeus, Temple of Dionysus, agora, and gymnasium structures appear as the most distinguished examples of this planning system and period architecture.
Bergama Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape Area was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014.
History
It is known that the name Pergamon comes from Pergamos, a legendary hero. It is thought that Pergamos captured the city after killing the King of Teuthrania and gave it his own name. According to another legend, King Grynos of Teuthrania asked Pergamos for help in the war, and after the victory, he had two cities built, naming one Pergamon in his honor and the other Gryneion. Pergamon was mentioned for the first time in written documents in the early 4th century BC. It is known that the city later became the capital of the Pergamon Kingdom. It is known that structures such as palaces, temples, and theaters were built in this period, and the city was surrounded by towers and walls. The ruins of the old city were found by the German engineer Carl Humann, who worked on the construction of the railway in Western Anatolia in the 1870s. The first research and excavation works in Pergamon started in 1878. Excavations and restoration works continue today.
Red Basilica and Asclepieion
When you come to Bergama, there are two places you must see before going to the acropolis. One of these is the Red Basilica. It is thought that the structure, built in the 2nd century AD, was dedicated to Egyptian gods in its early periods. The Red Basilica, which is a very magnificent and massive structure, takes its name from the red bricks from which it was built. The temple was converted into a basilica in the 5th century.
Asclepieion
Another place you can see before going up to the acropolis is the Asclepieion. This is a sacred area dedicated to the god of health Asclepius and is also a very important healing center of the Ancient Age. There is also a temple dedicated to Zeus and Asclepius in the area, which has its own library, a theater for 3500 people, feast and banquet courtyards, and toilets. The round structure located in the southeast corner of the area is the treatment building. The center, where we can access information about the treatment methods applied here from ancient sources, also hosted one of the most important names in the history of medicine, such as Galen.
After seeing these extensions of Pergamon on the plain, you have several different options to reach the magnificent acropolis of the city on Castle Hill. You can reach the acropolis by your vehicle or on foot, or you can use the cable car located in the region.
Pergamon Acropolis
When you arrive at the Acropolis, the breathtaking view extending to the horizon helps you understand the sense of sublimity that the Pergamon kings had. The Temple of Trajan, located at the highest point of the Acropolis and with some of its magnificent columns still standing, immediately attracts your attention as the remnant of an architectural wonder. The height of the temple reaches 27 meters from the bedrock and can be seen even from afar considering its majesty in the Ancient Age.
The theater, which holds the title of the world's steepest ancient theater, is another breathtaking place in the acropolis. In this part of the city, it is also possible to see the remains of Pergamon's famous library, which housed exactly 200,000 parchments. When you proceed to the Upper Agora section of the Acropolis, you can see the remains of the Sanctuary of Demeter and the Gymnasium, one of the largest education centers of the Hellenistic Period, built on 3 terraces.
The Pergamon Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape Area, as named in the UNESCO World Heritage List, contains so much value that it is not possible to discuss all of them completely in one article. We believe that coming and seeing this ancient city on site, which has a distinct place in terms of architecture and engineering as well as cultural level among the cities established so far in the world, is the wisest option.
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