Day 36: Pergamon, a modern antique city in a traditional modern day one

the old city of Pergamon

Bergama is one of the biggest towns of the city Izmir. Still it doesn't look very different from a big village with its people, habbits and accomodations. For this, the best way to visit the ruins of antique city Pergamon is to have a daily visit while staying in Ayvalik. It is a one and a half hour way with minibuses which are passing from the main road of Ayvalik at every hour between 09:00am and 19:00pm. It takes around two or three hours to visit Pergamon proparly. When you reach to Bergama village, you should say 'kale' which means casttle to ask for road description. It was weird to notice that people started looking me with a meaningless look when I was talking about the ruins. There is also a cable lift from the village to Pergamon as it is set on a hill which you can see nearly from every point of the village.

The Temple of Trajan

After the shiny days, the last king of Attalids, Attalus III bequeathed the whole of Pergamon to Rome in order to prevent a civil war as he had no heir. Pergamon became the capital of the Roman province of Asia, before the capital was transferred to Ephesus. Pergamon reached the height of its greatness under Roman Imperial rule and was home to about 200,000 inhabitants around 120 BC. Still its masive temples, amphitheatre, ruins of the gymnasium, arsenals and palaces protect their magnificence. Pergamon's library on the Acropolis (the ancient Library of Pergamum) was the second best in the ancient Greek civilization.

The theater with a seating capacity of 10,000 had the steepest
seating of any known theater in the ancient world

underground passageaway under the temple of Trajan

steps of the Zeus Altar

Pergamon was the most attractive sight I have seen by now. I know Ephesus is also on my way and is also as attractive as Pergamon or maybe even more but the only thing I can say is you should definetely visit Pergamon anyway.