Pergamum Acropolis & Asclepion

Explore Pergamum’s most revered ruins, which exemplify its reputation as an ancient center of learning and science. Journey through fertile plains to Pergamum, a UNESCO World Heritage site settled by one civilization after another until its golden age, approximately AD 300, when its citizens invented parchment. You’ll tour the remains of the city’s library, which contained 200,000 volumes and put Pergamum on par with Alexandria as a cultural center of the Roman Empire. Walk around the acropolis atop a steep hill and realize the city was built to be an inaccessible fortress. You’ll also view a 10,000-seat theater built into the hillside, the temples of Trajan and Dionysus, the Altar of Zeus, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the agora. Continue via a sacred road lined with monuments to 4th-century BC Asclepion, built in honor of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine. Learn the site was an ancient healing center where people came to be cured of diseases diagnosed from their dreams. See remnants of the rehabilitation center, the sacred spring and the mysterious psychotherapy tunnel. Enjoy a flavorful lunch at a specially selected restaurant to cap off your exploration of Turkey’s bewitching past.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Investigate the ruins of Pergamum, a UNESCO World Heritage site where parchment was invented.
• Discover an ancient library that once contained 200,000 books, making Pergamum a noted Roman cultural center.
• Stroll Pergamum’s acropolis, whose strategic hilltop placement assured it was nearly impenetrable.
• Survey striking remains such as the Temple of Trajan, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the agora.
• Visit 4th-century BC Asclepion, an ancient healing center honoring the Greek god of medicine.
• Savor a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.