Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape
The site is located on the Bakircay Plain in the Aegean region of Turkey. The Acropolis of Pergamon was the capital of the Attalid dynasty during the Hellenistic period and a major center of learning in the ancient world. Magnificent temples, theaters, colonnades or porticoes, gymnasiums, altars, and libraries were built on a slope surrounded by a wide wall. The rock-hewn Sanctuary of Kybele, located on another hill to the northwest, is visually connected to the Acropolis. The city later became the capital of the Roman province of Asia and was famous for the healing center of the Temple of Asklepios. The Acropolis is located in and around the modern town of Bergama below the hill, which is dotted with ancient tombs and Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman ruins.