İzmir Bergama Museum

Bergama Museum

After high reliefs of Zeus Altar were found on 1865 within the Byzantine wall located at Acropolis, official excavations were initiated by Carl Humann and Alexander Conze in 1878.

At first, unearthed artifacts were being kept in the store at the depot of excavation house. This form has been one of Anatolia's first depot museums. Storage becomes insufficient during the time. In 1924, the artifacts were transferred to another building temporarily which will be used as Public Center later.

Then Osman Bayatlı became the director for that temporary museum. Osman Bayatlı here creates a new collection consisting of ethnographic works at the same time. This new museum building was not enough during the time to the increasing number of artifact and density.

New attempts are made on 1932 for new museum needed and new museum building was started to be constructed on 1933. German architects Bruno Meyer and Harold Hanson were inspired by the Altar of Zeus and plan has been projected. The new museum located in the city center opened to visit in 1936. In 1979, the new sections annexed the museum for ethnographic artifacts to exhibit.

The museum's general plan diagram is square-shaped and consists of an inner courtyard and also the galleries surrounding the courtyard. From the western gallery to the small hall for archaeological artifacts, from the northern gallery to the ethnography hall are passed. The artifact display is also done outside of the museum building but in the courtyard.

The collection of archaeological works in the Pergamon Museum consists of the findings from the excavation of Acropolis, Asklepeion, the Red Hall (Serapeion) and Musalla Cemetery. Also uncovered several artifacts from the excavations in the vicinity of Bergama and the closer settlements such as; Pitane (Çandarli), Myrina (Güzelhisar), Gryneion (New Bullfinch) ancient cities, and also some other archaeological findings from the Kestel and Yortanlı-Alliaoni Dams Ertuğrul District, III. Rank archaeological sites exhibit in groups.

The works are exhibited according to the chronological and typological grouping. Small archaeological finds Hall, artifacts associated with Yortan culture including Pergamon which was an early age inhabitance in Bakırçay Basin are placed.

Dated back 3 and 2. Millennium, three legged or footless spouted jugs, stone axes, three legged vessels 3 legged cups create the artifacts groups. BC 3 and 2 dated to ride a tripod or footless spouted jugs, stone axes, occupies a tripod comes from the work group. 7th-6th century BC, ceramic plates, oinokhoe and crates are another exhibit is another group of display from the very Gryneion reflecting Orientalizing Period of Pitane.

Another artifacts group is ceramics produced in Pergamon in Hellenistic and Roman periods. The traded Megara bowls produced in ceramic workshops in Kestel (Ketios), produced appliqué ceramics, Pergamon sigillitas, oinophor and lamps are examples of local production in. Terra cottas are also important merchandising group works located in the exhibition. Hellenistic period, which is a major manufacturing center, and with the results of the excavations made in Myrina equivalent to today's trinket various figurines in the museum.

The various figurines equivalent to today's trinket and with the results of the excavations made in Myrna which is a major manufacturing center in Hellenistic period exist in the museum. Rich typological glass works belongs to large historical range from 1st-4th centuries B.C. up to 6th-5th century A.D. also creates another group of works.

Made of bronze casting or molding techniques with Hellenistic Heracles, Satyr figurines that are important works of our group is in the Museum.

Electrons from the first coins minted in Anatolia, BC 2nd century. Founded in the Pergamon in Asia Minor which consists of the cities of the association is to suppress cistoph coins as an important group of works that are located in the exhibition.

In the same hall, the Archaic  Kuros sculpture, Nymph (water nymph, Allianoi Rescue Excavations) with the statue has become a history major belong to the people portraits, acroterion figure of Nike statuette, Emperor Hadrian sculpture (Asclepeion), Pergamon orator Diodoros Pasparos the monument to tomb group, women belonging to the Roman Empire (nun) sculptures are exhibited.

Medusa also belong to the Roman period (mythological creatures with a glance that turn people to stone) mounted on the mosaic floor of the exhibition hall has been placed in the exhibition.

School of Sculpture at the Bergama (Pergamon) Museum gallery of the works of the various statues, ancient burial traditions of the period, reflecting the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period figural tombstones, sarcophagi and osthotek are exhibited. Honorary Inscriptions and votives dating back to Hellenistic and Roman Period are other important artifacts.

In addition, the inscription describing the arrangement and administration of the city, are all take important place in exhibition. The original one of this inscription belongs to Hellenistic Period but copied by Romans.

In the ethnography section, rich artifact collection that reflects social and traditional life from Pergamon and cultural values from its environment exist.

Nomad, the Turkmen, Çepni tribes local attires coexist in Bergama region, the bride and casual clothing from the region of Pergamon, the carpets, rugs, saddle examples from Yuntdağı Kozak, Yağcıbedir regions belonging to Bergama which is one of the most important Anatolia's carpet manufacturing center, personal attire of Tuzcu Efe one of the well-known veterans during Independence War are in the ethnographic groups.

However, this article is delivered us as the original copy of the Hellenistic and Roman period. Bergama region also belong to the traditional examples of the art of embroidery, jewelry, articles of daily use takes part in the exhibition.

Besides interior exhibits in the Pergamon Museum, there are also many other stone artifacts from Roman and Byzantine periods at hall and garden. In addition, sarcophagi and tombstones as foot and head stones with the effects of the Baroque and Rococo constitute belong to the Ottoman period in the form of important group of stone works.

Pergamon Museum has an important place on reflecting historical identity of the region, in the formation of cultural awareness of the community and promotion and also transmitting of its hosted universal heritage to the future generations continues its studies in this direction.