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Tuesday, July 12, 2011

June 20th: The Acropolis, Red Basillica and the Aclepieion.

The ancient city ruins of the Roman Acropolis climb up the mountain side until finally reaching the Temple of Trojan, The temple of Athena,The sanctuary of Heroon and the famous library which had 200,000 books that were given by Antonius to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. The theater, constructed in the 3rd century BC, is one of the steepest in the world and can seat 10,000 people! As you sit in the theater you have an amazing aerial view of the mountainside and the entire city of Bergama it is quite a sight to take in.
We walked the city starting with the peak and walked down the mountain all the way through the lower acropolis which had the sanctuary of Demeter, the gymnasium, and the lower market all the while passing ancient aqueducts until we were lead out through the Gates of Eumenes out of the ancient city.

There I was walking through this ancient city and I couldn't help but think about how insane it was for me to be walking though the same corridors as they did so long ago. The city is now a ruin, but the grandeur of it had to exist in ancient times too. I cant believe people made such a huge and beautiful city with their hands. Now a days we use machines and tools and still complain. Even though the Acropolis is crumbling there is still wonder there, even in the tiniest most broken piece of chiseled marble.


Yummy breakfast at the Gobi Pension, my most favorite meal time since I've been here, because its always vegetarian!
 The lovely view atop the mountain summit right next to the Asclepieion.

 Citadel walls


 haha our group being goofy and spelling out UCO REU.


 The Theater


 Josh sitting on the theater steps with Bergama in the background. Beautiful!
 Creepy walkway that smelled like sweat leading to the theater.








A part of a palace in the high acropolis























The Gymnasium
Almost at the Gates of Eumenes




Leaving the Acropolis to the Red Basillica





The Red Basillica or the Kizil Avlu was built in the 2nd century AD for the Egyptian gods Serapis,Isis and Harpocrates, when the Egyptian religion was reaching the Roman Empire. A stream ran beneath it in stone channels and was used for ritual bathing. The Byzantines later built the Church of St. John the Apostle within the ancient walls and it is still used today as the Kurtulus Camii mosque.





















On our way to the Asklepieion! (I described it in my last post)


 Turks and Americans
 No fences, no problem
 Entrance into the Askepieion

 Where the famous medical serpent symbol came from







  Health springs bathing center






















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