Pergamon is an ancient city located in the Bergama district north of Izmir, Turkey. According to some records, Bergama means “high settlement/base” in the Hittite language and is known as Πέργαμος (Pergamon) in Greek.
In written sources, the name of the city of Pergamon is mentioned for the first time at the beginning of the 4th century BC. C. It was declared the capital of the kingdom of Pergamon in 282 BC. and it remained so until 133 B.C. and lived its splendor at the beginning of the 2nd century B.C. It became a Roman city towards the end of this century.
It had one of the largest libraries of antiquity with more than 200,000 papyrus and parchment scrolls. The parchment is known to have been produced here for the first time in history and the name comes from this city. In addition, in the city’s acropolis you can still see the ancient theater, the temple of Trajan, the sanctuary of Zeus and Athena, and what remains of the Altar of Zeus, which is nothing more than a few steps because it was taken to Germany towards the end of the 19th century AD. and is now exhibited in the Pergamon museum in Berlin. The site’s ancient theater is the steepest in the country at a 55 degree incline and has a capacity of 10,000 spectators.
A few kilometers from the acropolis is the Asclepion, which was a health center and a medical school. The name comes from Asclepius, the god of medicine, to whom the site was dedicated. During the visit one can discover various methods of treatments that were used for the patients in the place and it is known that Galen, one of the best known physicists in history, was born and received his first education in this city in the 2nd century BC.
- Where is Pergamon located?
Pergamon is an ancient city that is located in the north of Izmir province in western Türkiye.
- Where was the parchment invented?
The parchment was invented in Pergamon in the 2nd century BC.
- What is the meaning of Pergamon?
According to some records, Pergamon means “high settlement/base” in the Hittite language and is known as Πέργαμος (Pergamon) in Greek.
