Asklepion Bergama

We enjoyed the great history of Pergamon. We don’t care about very hot weather.  Come on now, we go there together ..

Asclepion of Pergamon is one of the most important health centers in Ancient times. Galenos who is Ancient Rome’s most important physician lived here. Galenos is also the physician who gave the snake symbol to medicine’s and he is the greatest physician of antiquity after Hippocrates. Galen had treated gladiators. Asklepion is a place not only for healing sick people, this is a place that many doctors and health experts grew in at he same time. Patients were inserted into the healing waters and gave them herbal treatments here. The words ‘The place where death cannot enter’ were written at the entrance of this place. It was also called ‘Place where wills are not opened’. They made psychotherapy to patients also. They used water sound for therapy mostly. Personally, I find the water sound so soothing on my world, so water is a really good idea for therapy 🙂

Asclepion was built 4.B.C. and dedicated to Asclepius who is Ancient Greek and Roman god of health. You can recognize the statue of Asclepius from scepter with snake. Snake icon firstly had been the symbol of medical science here. According to the legend, a patient wasn’t allowed to enter Asclepion because he was about to die. While waiting at the door the patient saw two snakes that shed their poison in a groove in the rock and drank the poison to kill himself. But he had healed instead of die. Since then, the snake has become the symbol of medicine.

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What To See in Asklepion

Sacred Road (The Via Tecta)

This is the colonnaded street that connects Asklepion to Pergamon.. The patients used to wait at the beginning of this road and try to be admitted to Asclepion.

Monumental Gate (Propylon)

This is the area where Sacred Way ends. Surrounded by columns of Corinthian on three sides and where the main gate of entry through sacred way. After passing through the monumental gate there is the library right side so in the North. On the Eastern edge, there was the statue of Emperor Hadrian whom the library was dedicated to because of protecting scientific work.

Underground Passageway

This is a long underground tunnel which was built in order to protect the patients from the cold and warm air. Tunnel was well preserved. You can reach Temple of Telephorus (the son of Asklepios) at the end of the tunnel.

Stoas

The holy area is surrounded by these iconic stoas. These coulmns are the typical elements of Greek architecture. They used to protect people from the sun in the summer and the rain in winter.

I loved to pose here…

There are baths which used for healing the patients..

Asklepion Theatre

This theater is considered as one of the most beautiful theater of the Hellenistic period. Its capacity is 3500 people.

I love antique theatre..

Aysam is making jokes, clearly 🙂

Bergama-Pergamon is in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Must see..

Entrance fee for Asklepion; 25 TL. Museum Card is accepted.

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