PERGAMON: Portal to Ancient Greece

Bergama (also known as Pergamon in ancient Greek) is a town located in the north of İzmir. And it was an ancient Greek city in Mysia. It is known for its rich and powerful history as well as its magnificent scenery. Bergama has been taken under the protection of UNESCO as a world heritage in 2014.  The town used to be the capital of the Pergamon Kingdom during the Hellenistic Period. Being taken the name from the Pergamon Kingdom, Bergama was a center of culture, art, and medicine for centuries. Worldwide known parchment paper was found in Bergama. In Bergama, excavations have been carried out since the 1870s. Thanks to these excavations it has been revealed that Bergama’s rooted past dates back to the Archaic Period.

Photo: Official Turkish Museums (asclepion)

If you are interested in mythology and history, Bergama is a perfect match for you. Because there are so many fantastic places to visit and learn about. Among these marvelous places, Asclepion is probably so many people’s favorite. One of the most important health centers of that era, Asclepion, was one of the earliest pioneers of medicine and the health center was prominent with its unique treatments and diagnosis techniques.  In Greek mythology, Asclepius was a highly regarded doctor and people believed that he could revive the dead. As time passed Zeus became upset with Asclepius’ fame and his practices so he killed Asclepius. Therefore; in the memoriam of Asclepius, people built sanctuaries that were also used as healthcare facilities and all of those were called Asclepion. Asclepion in Bergama was also an ancient med school and it is the world’s first mental hospital. It is said that Asclepion was the only place that death cannot get through. All the patients there would leave the hospital cured. So, knowing all these amazing facts and leaving Bergama without seeing Asclepion is out of the question.

(Acropolis)

 You can also visit Acropolis (upper city). While visiting Acropolis you will see the remains of different temples. Two of the temples in Pergamon Acropolis are now exhibited in Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. In Acropolis, there is also an ancient theatre from Hellenistic Period with a 10.000 audience capacity. Red Basilica is another beauty that you must see. To see the breathtaking sculptures, and different tools from different ancient cities and most importantly, to be able to see the glorious Medusa Mosaic you must visit the Pergamon Museum in the modern city center. 

(The head of Medusa in the center of a floor mosaic. From the Lower City of Pergamon)