RUINS OF THE WORLD
Christmas Day in Pergamon and the Acropolis
It’s not in Athens
Pergamon (spelled different ways) was the Greek name for the Turkish town now known as Bergama. Pergamon was in existence from at least the 5th century BC, but it became important only in the Hellenistic Age (323–30 BC) when it became the seat of power and a major centre of learning in the ancient world.
Pergamon exists in two parts — the lower and the upper — known as the Akropolis (also spelled Acropolis). Of course, the Akropolis was at the top of a mountain, which could only be reached by walking up goat tracks, or taking the glass lift and then the cable car. I opted for the latter option. I entered the cable car with trepidation but thought I’d video the ascent to take my mind off it. It worked - I remained calm. My fellow passengers were great companions and kept me talking the whole way.
Have you ever spent Christmas Day wandering around ruins with not a sprig of holly in sight? I did when I visited the Akropolis at Pergamon.
The ruins up here were amazing and the views were spectacular. Every sound from the valley below floated up, even a dog’s bark!
We walked around with our guide Faruk, until he descended a long stairway. I thought we’d probably have to come up again so decided to give it a miss and walked around the other side of the mountain. I’m an independent traveller after all. But six of the group followed me while the rest went with Faruk down to the amphitheatre. Do they think I know where I’m going?
I’m just exploring and finding things the others might miss.
All of these columns and friezes and metopes (I learned this word in Athens) I tried to photograph as best as I could with my phone. Many of the friezes now reside in Berlin much like Lord Elgin’s marbles reside in the British museum. I wonder if it was Heinrich Schliemann, (thanks, David Perlmutter) the German guy who was responsible for destroying much of Troy who took them.
The Hellenistic theatre takes advantage of the spectacular view and the hillside. In general, Hellenistic theatres are wider and rounder than this, but at Pergamon the hillside location made rounding impossible and so it was increased in height instead. You can understand why I didn’t want to walk all the way down. I’m actually better at walking up than down. Even with my new knees, ascending is easier than descending.
I didn’t discover the ruins of the palace, but I did discover the most amazing views. Like Troy, this was also once a harbour, which was now landlocked. You might be able to see the ocean in the background. It once had the second biggest library in the world after Alexandria and was where parchment was first used for books. In Alexandria, they used papyrus.
This was the last photo I took as my phone ran out of battery juice. I don’t have a camera.
I managed to make my way back to the meeting point at the top of the cable car and found a very comfy lounge chair to sit down and wait for the rest of the group. Two dogs played at my feet. I spied a very beautiful pashmina but was more money than I had left in my wallet, so I bought a pomegranate juice instead, squeezed fresh right in front of me. I had never tried pomegranate juice. I almost didn’t get to try it now. The lady serving me spilled it all over my pants and shoes! She apologized and made me another one but still charged me 4 lira. It was delicious but I had to stay sticky for the rest of the day.
A very different way to spend Christmas Day. 🎄
This is what I do too, Ronald Smit — imagine myself living in ancient times. Love your collection of ruins you’ve lost yourself in.
And Erie Astin loses herself, metaphorically, in the ruins of Rome’s Forum.