The ruins of the ancient city of Pergamon, once the capital of the legendary kingdom of Pergamon, lie at a distance of 1, 5 kilometers from the modern Turkish city of Bergen, which is located in the province of Izmir. According to ancient Greek mythology the city was founded by the son of Andromache and Helenus (brother of Hector, Andromache's first husband), named in honor of Pergamum Trojan citadel, which was called Pergamum.

The ancient city was located on the coast of Asia Minor, and was founded in the XII century BC, came from mainland Greece. In 283-133 BC, it was the capital of the kingdom of Pergamon. The highest town reached when Eumenes I (263-241 gg. BC. E.) And Eumenes II (197-159 gg. BC. E.). He was one of the largest economic and cultural centers of the Hellenistic world and one of the earliest centers of Christianity. In the III century the settlement was captured by tribes ready, and in the year 713 - destroyed by the Arabs. Later the city was restored by the Byzantines, but nevertheless, gradually fell into disrepair and in 1330 was captured by the Turks. Since then, the construction of the city, the residents abandoned gradually destroyed, until the earth swallowed them almost completely. Only at the end of the last century, archaeologists have excavated and restored to mankind examples of ancient architecture and sculpture, the exhibition enriched some museums in the world.

Until the early 20th century, the residents of Bergen dug in their areas of pieces of marble sculptures with traces of lime to burn through. They did not even know that they are living in the ruins of the great cities of the ancient world. Its existence peasants learned only in 1878. In that year, the German engineer Karl Hooman was invited to Turkey by the Sultan to build bridges and roads. Construction began, the German engineer discovered one of the most interesting monuments of Hellenistic art - a great altar of Zeus. Under the layer of earth, numerous large fragments of plates with reliefs. Many valuable finds are now in the Pergamon in Berlin Pergamon Museum and the Archaeological Museum of Bergamo.

In ancient times, Pergamon was third after Rome and Alexandria largest city. His wealth and fame, he was obliged to trade, availability of fertile land in which grown olives, grapes, bread, successful breeding livestock. In the Pergamon produces gold brocade, fine linen and fragrance oils. The town became famous for the magnificent architecture, the huge library that rivaled the Alexandrian, the museum of sculpture, scientific schools and the largest center of theatrical art. Today, we can enjoy the atmosphere of this ancient town and explore its ruins. Some buildings survived fairly well.

Acropolis was located on top of a hill, where they were found the remains of some private houses, civic buildings and temples .  It is here that are famous around the world library, dating from the second century BC, the reign of Eumenes II .  She was famous for more than 200 thousand precious parchments, which were kept in it .  In size it is second only to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt .  The constant rivalry between them has led to the fact that the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy prohibited the export of papyrus - at that time the basic material for the production of books .  Competitors at Pergamum had to think of an alternative material for writing, and they used a specially tanned calfskin, which is called parchment, and many centuries have used for writing, along with papyrus and other materials .  Later Library of Pergamum was destroyed and numerous manuscripts taken to Alexandria Marc Antony .  Some time Pergamum library led Crathes Malossky scholar who is famous for being the first to put forward a hypothesis about the location on the surface of a spherical Earth four landmasses separated by oceans stripes .  In the years 168-165 BC . e .  he fashioned a globe, which outlined four land mass, symmetrically arranged with respect to each other .

On the terrace, overlooking the ruins of the Library are the ruins of the Temple of Trajan, built between the years 117 and 118 AD. The beautiful building was built in honor of the emperor, which ranked as the Aesir. Along the perimeter of the church tower located six and nine in width along its length. The building is designed in Corinthian style. It was found a sculpture of the Emperor Trajan and the statue of his successor, Hadrian, and in which the temple was completed.

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of yet another grand temple - the Temple of Athena. The main entrance to the temple has been carefully restored and is on display at the Berlin Museum, where you can also view the magnificent portico of the temple with a graceful, light double colonnade. This temple was built in the III century BC and originally decorated with bas-reliefs in the Doric style. The perimeter of the temple is surrounded by the same number of columns, like the Temple of Trajan.
Located near the theater, dating from the fourth century BC. He is one of the most beautiful monuments of antiquity and the embodiment of boundless power of human genius. Steps stands theater, descends steeply down, split the top of the six, and the bottom - in the seven sectors. At the time, the construction received and held 3,500 spectators. Its acoustic properties are still excellent, so the theater is still used in the summer for the performances.

Near the theater is a temple of Dionysus, built in the II century BC Caracalla and restored after a fire destroyed the original building. In the II century BC in honor of the victory over the Galatians it was erected a large marble altar of Zeus. The ruins of the altar were brought to Berlin and there is a professionally reconstructed. Today, they are stored in the Pergamon Museum. The altar was an early stage of the white marble, the walls of which are decorated with three tape marble relief. The staircase is located on the fourth wall led to the area surrounded by columns with marble altar in the middle. At the altar was moved to Berlin and a magnificent frieze, which depicts the battle of the gods with the Giants. Reliefs frieze is considered the best sculptural masterpieces of Pergamum.

Among the other facilities located around the Acropolis hill, attracted the attention of the ancient baths and gymnasium. Last is a training and educational institutions for the noble men and was built on different levels connected by underground passages and broad staircases.

The monumental ruins of the Red Basilica, otherwise called red yard, rise at the base of the castle hill, near which the river Bergama Caique. The name of the temple explained its bright red brick walls. Both the underground galleries of the building were used for the flow of water of the ancient Selinus. The temple was built in the second century under Hadrian and dedicated to the cult of Serapis. During the period of Byzantine influence the church was transformed into a basilica.

Asklepiuma to the ruins, without a doubt the most famous temple of Pergamum, is Via Sacra, once surrounded by columns .  The building is dedicated to the cult of the god-healer Asclepius existed before the arrival of the Romans .  The building was founded in the fourth century BC and was Pergamum hospital .  The inscription on it reads: "In the name of the gods of death entry is prohibited" .  Patients were treated with curative waters here, take a bath in bronze basins, trust your body skillful masseurs who are using fragrant unguents gave the former because of their weakened muscles .  Patients rest on stone benches arranged in galleries resorts .  Under their vaults were hidden secret opening through which the sound of voices of invisible psychotherapists .  They advised patients forget about their ailments and sorrows, not to think of the physical suffering, disease suppressing the power of his spirit .  Thanks to this doomed there is hope for healing and the body itself cope with disability .  According to written sources, the founder of Pergamum hospital was named citizen Arhias .  Particularly known as a healer in the II century BC, it was a local physician Galen, famous for his consummate eloquence .  "The method of self-hypnosis" he initially treated only gladiators, and then anyone who needed help .  Patients come to him from all parts of the world, and gradually Asklepion become a small town with a few temples and a room for medical Consilium .