Pergamon, today's Bergama, was the capital of a Hellenistic kingdom that rivalled Alexandria in culture and counted Rome among its allies. Its acropolis sits high on a mountain above the modern town, with a 10,000-seat theatre clinging to the hillside, the foundations of a library that once held 200,000 scrolls, and the Temple of Trajan. Down on the plain lies the Asclepieion, the great healing sanctuary of the ancient world.
Pergamon is one of the Seven Churches of Revelation and one of the big day trips on the Aegean coast. It takes half a day and a good pair of legs; in return, it draws about half the crowds you'll find at Ephesus.
A little history
The kingdom of Pergamon was born in the 3rd century BC, when one of Alexander the Great's generals left his treasury here and Philetaerus, the officer guarding it, turned it into a state. The Attalid kings defeated the Galatians, built the Altar of Zeus to celebrate the victory and founded a library that competed with the one in Alexandria. When Egypt banned the export of papyrus, so the story goes, Pergamon perfected the use of treated animal skin as a writing material: the word “parchment” comes from the city's name.
The last king bequeathed his kingdom to Rome in 133 BC. In Roman times the Asclepieion became the most famous medical centre in the empire, and Galen, physician to the emperors, trained here. German archaeologists took the Altar of Zeus to Berlin at the end of the 19th century, and it is still there.
What to see in Pergamon
The cable car and the upper acropolis
A cable car runs from the foot of the mountain to the gate of the acropolis in about four minutes. The first thing you see at the top is the Temple of Trajan, partly rebuilt with its white marble columns, with the Caicus valley spread out below.
The library and the Sanctuary of Athena
The foundations of the library survive next to the Temple of Athena, the city's patron goddess. In its halls the scrolls were kept away from the walls to protect them from damp, and this is the place to tell the story of parchment.
The theatre
Cut into the hillside at a dizzying angle, with 80 rows of seats for some 10,000 spectators, the theatre has a long terrace at its foot that served both as a stage and as a promenade. Walking down the tiers to the Temple of Dionysus, at the far end of the terrace, is the most spectacular part of the visit.
The base of the Altar of Zeus
Under a few pine trees lies a stone platform: all that is left of the altar whose frieze of the battle between the gods and the giants is now in Berlin. The view from here, with the theatre and the town below, explains why it was built on this spot.
The Asclepieion
Three kilometres away on the plain you'll find a colonnaded Sacred Way, the courtyard with its fountains of healing water, a small theatre, the round Temple of Asclepius and the sacred tunnel, where patients walked in half-darkness listening to the priests. Treatment here meant water, sleep, diet and theatre, and Galen learnt his craft here before leaving for Rome.
The Red Basilica
In the lower town stands a huge 2nd-century temple of red brick, dedicated to the Egyptian gods and later turned into a church. Tradition identifies it with the church of Pergamon addressed in the Book of Revelation, in the letter that mentions “Satan's throne”. Ten minutes looking at it from the outside is enough.
Tips for your visit
Allow two hours for the acropolis and one for the Asclepieion. The acropolis is all slopes, steps and loose stone, and the theatre has high, steep tiers and no handrail.
- Take the cable car up and back down: the footpath down is long and exposed to the sun.
- Bring a hat, water and shoes with a good grip: there's no shade at the top and the marble is slippery.
- See the acropolis first thing in the morning and the Asclepieion after lunch, when the Sacred Way is in the shade.
- If your children are happy walking, the theatre and the tunnel at the Asclepieion are what they'll remember.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing (2026), the acropolis costs €16 and the Asclepieion €15 under the official 2027 tariff, and the return cable car ride is about €8. Prices for foreign visitors are revised every year, so check the official Turkish museums website (muze.gov.tr) before you go. On my tours, entrance tickets and the cable car are either included or taken care of by your guide.
Where it is and how to get there
Bergama is about 100 kilometres north of Izmir, an hour and a half by motorway, and two to three hours from Kuşadası, depending on traffic around Izmir. The acropolis rises above the town and the Asclepieion is on its western edge, a ten-minute drive apart.
Pergamon on my tours
It fills a full day on the Pergamon day tour from Kuşadası and is one of the stages of Biblical and Spiritual Türkiye, on the route of the Seven Churches. For the rest of the region, see what to see in Izmir and on the Aegean coast.
If you'd like to combine Pergamon with Ephesus and the coast, message me through the tailor-made trip form.