ACROPOLIS

Established on a hill, Pergamon was a settlement on sloping land. As a result of this geographical constraint, the city’s planning constitutes a unique example in terms of its form and structure.

The fact that there is no natural plain land in Pergamon made it necessary to gain space by making terracing since the earliest phase of the settlement. Insufficiency of construction areas caused the old terraces to be contained in new ones due to the increasing needs during the years. This is the main reason why there are not enough clues about the earliest history of the city. The oldest settlements discovered in the fortress were dated to 7-6. Century BC.

The city was consisting of two main parts since its first establishment. These were the fortress at the top of the mountain with its own walls and the city on lower part of the hill on a less steep slope in the south which was also surrounded with walls. The residential areas had undergone many changes in terms of both size and expansion area according to political and economic conditions.

The city walls of Pergamon reached their most extensive size during the reign of Eumenes II. The most important structures of the Eumenes Era were the Altar of Zeus, which was built to commemorate the victory against the Galatians, the propylon of the Temple of Athena and the stoa surrounding it; the famous library, where two hundred thousand book rolls are kept, the Great Palace and the city walls. During this period of development, the Temple of Athena, which had been built before, and the steepest theater of antiquity, which had a capacity of ten thousand spectators, were preserved, and the city developed in a plan pattern which was spreading on three sides of this core like an accordion.

In the acropolis there were three separate settlements: the highest and most sheltered place was the location of king palaces, temples and water cisterns. The upper city was a center where the king's families and the prominent people, intellectuals, clergy and army commanders lived. Therefore, this place had an official character. In the middle city, there were temples, gymnasiums and temenos. In this part of the city, from north to south there were Hera and Demeter Holy sites, Temple of Asclepius, Gymnasiums and city fountain. Here, there were buildings which were not directly related to the administration and meeting places where people could easily enter and exit.

The lower city was a settlement where the people could do shopping in market. In this section there was lower Agora, as well as many shops lining on both sides of the main road leading to the middle and upper city, and also some peristyled houses, one of which were called Attalos house.

The agora in the upper city was very high both in terms of its location and function, and was devoted only to state affairs. In this respect, the lower agora, built in the early years of Eumenes II administration, was the commercial center of the city. The wide and smooth sloping road that stretches along the city from one side to the other starts at the Eumenes gate in the lower city, forms a few zigzags and a big curve in the middle city settlement area and reaches the upper city from the southern slope of the mountain.

In 2nd century AD Pergamon lived a brilliant period under the reign of Emperor Traianus and Hadrianus. The city was now spread out of the fortification walls and had a grill-shaped structure with its borders reaching almost to the plains. The most important structure of the expansion era was the Temple of Serapis (Red Courtyard). Roman theater, amphitheater and stadium were also included in the Roman city.

ASKLEPION

Bergama Asklepion was one of the most important health treatment centers in the ancient times, similar to those in Epidaurus and Kos. According to Pausanias, the first temple of Asclepius in Bergama was founded in the first half of the 4th century BC. The excavations revealed that the holy site had existed since the 4th century BC and developed during the Hellenistic Period. But the most brilliant period of the Asklepion was 2nd century AD.

In the Roman Era, the city of Asclepion was reached by a sacred road. The sacred road ends in the propylon courtyard. The three sides of the propylon courtyard were surrounded by galleries with columns. The propylon was built by Consul Claudius Charax, a historian in the second century AD. The Asclepius Sanctuary, having a courtyard with gallery, a theater of 3500 people, a cult hall and a library of the Emperor Hadrianus, and a round shaped Temple of Asclepius, was an important center of health in the Roman period. There were three small temples and sleeping rooms, spring baths and pools in the southern part which were belonging to Hellenistic Period. In addition to the sacred spring water, a long underground tunnel was constructed to provide protection for patients from cold and warm air.

Just in the north of this underground tunnel there is the Temple of Asclepius. This temple, made in the fashion of the Pantheon in Rome, was built by the consul L.C. Rufinus in 150 AD. It has an entrance with columns. Within the temple, 7 niches are arranged alternately. Opposite the entrance was the cult statue of the god Asclepius.

We learned the treatment methods from the orator Aelius Aristides who stayed here for 13 years in the middle of the second century AD. The various forms of mental suggestion and physiotherapy methods, which are still in use today, had been applied here. Drinking from holy water and mud baths, fasting cures, curative herbs and creams were the main treatment methods.

BASILICA (Red Courtyard)

Because the whole building was made of bricks and also because of the large front courtyard, the temple was called as “Red Courtyard” among the people. The courtyard was closed to outer world with high walls. The interior is thought to be surrounded by galleries with columns. The temple could be entered through three monumental gates on the western facade of the courtyard. Some of these entrances are still standing. Because of the importance given to the Egyptian gods, the temple was built in the very center of the city of lower Pergamon in Roman Period. The water tunnels, which are still in use today, have been built on Selinos river, which is an obstacle to the integration of the temple with its courtyard.

In front of the temple, there is a propylon on the same axis with the temple and a huge temple gate behind it. Only the frontal side of the sanctuary was lightened by windows, and no window was made to the rear side so that the cult statue could remain only half-lit. There are hidden passages and stairs that extend under the rounded structures on the wings and under some parts of the courtyards. Presumably, the high priest of the temple, who walked through these passages, rose to the head of the hollow cult statue and from there he was preaching to the people in the name of God. It is assumed that there was a very solid wooden roof skeleton covering the temple.

Based on the cult and art history data, it can be said that the temple was probably built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD and that it was dedicated to the Egyptian gods, Serapis and Isis. However, despite the presence of cult altars on the round structure at two sides of the temple, it is not known who the gods on the wings are. During the early Byzantine period, with some additions to the holy place, the temple continued to be used as one of the early seven churches in Anatolia.