The steepest theatre
Ten thousand seats cut into a near-vertical slope, with a view from the top row that runs across the plain towards the sea.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marmaracalypso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burakoskay1 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Burakoskay1 — CC BY-SA 4.0
When Egypt cut off the supply of papyrus, so the ancient story goes, the kings of Pergamon simply perfected writing on animal skin, and the word parchment still carries their name. That is the kind of place this was: a third-century BC royal capital on a 300-metre crag above the town of Bergama, with a library that rivalled Alexandria's, a UNESCO World Heritage listing since 2014, and the richest day trip out of İzmir for anyone genuinely interested in history rather than a quick photo. The acropolis is the part that earns the climb. The Temple of Trajan has been partly re-erected in gleaming white marble, the library said to have held some 200,000 scrolls survives as footings, and above everything is the theatre, cut into a slope so severe it is reckoned the steepest of the ancient world, 10,000 seats staring out across the Bakırçay plain towards the sea. Do not look for the famous Great Altar of Zeus: only its foundations remain, because German excavators shipped the frieze to Berlin in the 1880s and built a museum named after the city to hold it. Down at the western edge of town is the Asklepion, the healing sanctuary where the physician Galen practised, with its sacred way, tunnel, spring and small theatre; it is flatter, quieter and much easier on the legs. Practically: Bergama lies about 105 km north of İzmir, an hour and a half by car on the motorway or roughly two hours on the Bergama municipal buses from the Bornova bus station. Take the cable car from the north-east edge of town up to the ticket gate in a few minutes, then work your way down through the terraces. The cable car is municipal and separately ticketed, €20 (about 1,000 TL) return for foreign visitors on the 2026 tariff, and Müzekart is not accepted on it. Acropolis entry is €15 and the Asklepion €13, bought at the gate or via muze.gov.tr; both open daily, with shorter hours in winter. For families: nothing here is level. Paths are rough stone, the theatre steps are tall and unrailed, and the hill is exposed to wind and sun with almost no shade, so a pushchair is useless and small children will flag before the end. In July and August start at the 08:30 opening or wait until after five, when the air softens and the plain turns gold; bring a hat and water. Spring and autumn are far and away the best seasons. The Red Basilica (Kızıl Avlu), the vast brick Roman temple in the middle of town, has been closed for restoration since March 2025 with the ministry promising a 2026 reopening, so check before you count on it.
Ten thousand seats cut into a near-vertical slope, with a view from the top row that runs across the plain towards the sea.
Re-erected white marble columns crowning the hill, beside the footings of the library that gave parchment its name.
One of the ancient world's great healing centres, where Galen practised, with its sacred tunnel and spring; flat, quiet and a relief after the hill.
Kurtuluş Mah., Akropol Yolu No:10, Bergama, İzmir
Ephesus. It is closer, far better preserved and easier walking, and its marble street and Library of Celsus impress even people who do not care about history. Pergamon is higher, more scenic and much emptier, but what survives is mostly foundations, a theatre and a handful of columns, and it demands fitness. With a car and two days, make them two separate days rather than cramming both into one.
The Asklepion, yes: flat, partly shaded, and the tunnel delights children. The acropolis, honestly, not under about seven or eight; the steps are tall and unrailed, the stones loose, there is no shade and a pushchair will not pass. If you insist, take the cable car up and stay on the top terrace around the temple and theatre without descending to the middle city.
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