The ancient ruins of Pergamum

All that is left of the ancient city Pergamum are worn and looted ruins. The main sites of Pergamum are to the north and west of the modern city of Bergama in Turkey.

Pergamum lies on the north edge of the Caicus plain in in the northwest of Turkey. Even if the town was once known for it's beauty it was also one of the darkest and greediest cities in the Roman Empire. The town was a political, religious, cultural and economical center in the Roman province Asia Minor.



Pergamum had three temples that was dedicated to the worship of the Roman emperor, it had one temple for the goddess Athena, and the Great Altar of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods was also located in the city. The Altar of Zeus, is believed to be the Throne of Satan which is mentioned in the book of Revelation.



Pergamum was one of the most influential cities in the Empire. Pergamum was also the center for worship of the Roman Emperor who was believed top be part God and part human in ancient times. In 385, Christianity became the state religion in the Roman Empire and after that Pergamum lost its status and the city decreased in size. In the end, only the fortified Acropolis remained, but it was abandoned during the Byzantine period. And the city was slowly turned into ruins.

After that, the city slowly fell into oblivion. The new city of Bergama was built on the slope of the old city. Some stone was taken from the older city. 1878-86 excavations were made at the expense of the Prussian state and many of the finds from excavations together with The Altar of Zeus were moved to Berlin. Today is Pergamum a popular tourist site. And in 2014 was Pergamum added to UNESCO World Heritage List.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good