Pergamum

In the Roman Period, Pergamum played a very important role for Christianity. One of the Seven Churches of Revelation, stated in the Book of Revelation, is in Pergamum. (another church stated in the Book of Revelation, Thyatira Church, is only 50 km to Pergamum in the modern city of Akhisar). Also the second biggest library of ancient period, after the library of Alexandria in Egypt, was in Pergamum. The library contained 200.000 volumes. Pergamum invented the parchment, a material used instead of papylus which was produced by the Egyptians.

The finest altar (shrine) ever built is accepted as the Zeus Altar in Pergamum in 180 BC. Most parts of the Zeus Altar is now in the Berlin Pergamum Museum. The altar was in the Acropolis which is some 300 meters above the modern city of Bergama. The ancient theater in the Acropolis is the steepest Hellenistic Theater in the world. The theater has 80 rows with over 10.000 spectator capacity. The theater lies on the hill in the Acropolis overlooking the modern city of Bergama and Gediz Valley.

Asclepieum, a sanctuary and a healing center built for Asclepieum, the God of healing, was the first hospital in the world and was built in the 4th century BC. This large complex became an official center in the 3rd century BC and in the 2nd century Hadrian further developed the complex. Close to the complex in Pergamum, Serapeum (Temple of Serapis-Turkish name Kizil Avlu), was built in the 2nd century AD during the king of Hadrian and was dedicated to the Gods of Egypt. Because of the red bricks used in the construction, the building is also called the Red Court.