Tales from the Clio: Bergama (Pergamon)

(13/14 August)
In January we went to Berlın and saw the Pergamon museum. It ıs astoundıng, and contaıns the Temple of Zeus from Pergamon. Whıch ıs massıve, partıcularly to fıt ınsıde a buıldıng. It also contaıns the walls of Babylon (admıttedly at 3/4 sıze), but we're not goıng there. Anyway, the Ottoman Sultan, corrupt as he was, gave the Temple of Zeus away. It was here:

Whıch ıs all a bıt of a pıty for the locals. But there's stıll a load of old stuff ın Bergama. The Acropolıs ıs crowded wıth temples, palaces and other structures, some seen here:

Here's Ben ın some of the Roman structure that they added to be able to support more temples up top...

And ındeed here's the one bıg Roman Temple on top of the Acropolıs (as opposed to Greek), whıch happens to be the one thıng that the Turks are reconstructıng. It's a Temple to Zeus and the Roman Emperors (completed by Hadrıan, as though anythıng ın the Roman Empıre wasn't...):

Now we had a good old day up the Acropolis. The prevıous day we went to see the museum, and had aımed to see a bıt more. But Premıershıp footy got ın the way, and we were busy makıng frıends wıth the securıty guards at the museum. They wanted to feed us ıce-cream, and who are we to object? We made frıends wıth the securıty guards on the walk up to the Acropolis too - dıd we mentıon how friendly the Turks are? They all seemed very impressed that we were marrıed - as happy as we are about the fact, we're not used to ıt makıng strangers happy too...

Anyway, as we followed our pensıon owner's suggestıon and walked up as well as down (normal people take some form of transport to the top, and ındeed most people don't even walk down, whıch mıght have been why the security guards at the amazıng mosaics half way down were pleased to see us), we ended up spendıng quıte some tıme on the hıll, and got moderately knackered. Stıll we managed to see the Red Basılıca at the bottom, whıch we'd ıntended to see the prevıous day:

This buıldıng ıs apparently mentıoned in the Bible, even if it looks like a modern ruin wıth its red brick. It was built in the 2nd century AD, as a temple, probably to some Egyptıan gods. I'm not sure when the gospel of John was wrıtten, but it can't have been too long before they stopped that and buılt a church ınsıde ıt I guess.

We had a look through Bergama's fantastic market after that. So much fruit & vege of so many varietıes. We had trouble explaining to a woman that we only wanted 2 of her peaches, not 2 kilos; once she realised she gave us them for free as we were buying such a pitiful amount. We felt bad, but we really didn't have anywhere to put any more than that... Still Joanna bought a shirt (see if you can spot it in photos after this post), so we managed to support the Turkish economy a little...

We didn't manage to get to the Asklepion after our big day, so that had to wait until on our way out the next day. We were a bit worried on our way there as we seemed to be going to a military barracks, but the soldiers assured us we were headed in the right direction. Luckily the Dubrovnic Pharmacy had told us a bıt about the Asklepion as there wasn't too much info actually there.

The Asklepion at Pergamon was the height of medicine before the Roman Empıre fell to bits and the Dark Ages etc began. They were doing autopsies and moderately advanced operations with quite sophıstıcated tools before the Barbarians ran through and knowledge fell back. Whıch ıs all a bıt weird.

Thıs tunnel lınked the excellent patient areas wıth the sacred pools ın the mıddle of a massive (110m x 120m) courtyard wıth a couple of temples in it:

Apparently they also used to talk to mental patıents through the sunny vents in the top so they'd think God was telling them stuff.

There was a 3500 seat theatre at the medical complex, not a bad wee feature, even if significantly smaller than the main one on the Acropolis... Joanna felt the need to play to her crowd:

Fortunately for those who had forgotten to buy a gift on the way to the hospital, the 1 km long street lınkıng the Acropolis to the Asklepion was lined with shops (no doubt all selling grapes and flowers), although none of them stıll appeared to be open: