Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pergamonmuseum
Pergamon Altar
The colossal Perga-
mon Altar, dating from
the year 160 BC, is the
largest and most impor-
tant treasure of the
Berlin museums. The
altar was part of a much
larger temple complex
in the Greek town of
Pergamon (today the
town of Bergama in
Turkey), excavated in the
19th century by the Ger-
man archaeologist Carl
Humann
(see also pp22-3)
.
The Pergamonmuseum is one of the most impor-
tant museums of ancient art and architecture in
the world. The museum was built in 1909-30 by
Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann to house
Berlin's collection of antiquities as well as vast
temples and palace rooms in their original size.
These works of art, excavated by German archae-
ologists in the Near East at the end of the 19th
century, were shown here for the first time.
Top 10 Exhibits
1 Pergamon Altar
2 Market Gate of Miletus
3 Assyrian Palace
4 Ishtar Gate
5 Goddess Persephone
6 Goddess Athena
7 Aleppo Room
8 Roman Mosaic
9 Palace of Mshatta
0 Temple of Athena
Main entrance of the
Pergamonmuseum
On the Museums-
insel itself there are
no inviting cafés.
However, the cafés
under the S-Bahn
arches opposite the
museum entrance
are worth a visit.
Market Gate of
Miletus
This vast gate (AD 120) is
over 16 m (52 ft) high. To
the right of the entrance,
a hairdresser has carved
an advertisement for his
shop into the stone.
Visitors wishing
to explore all the
museums on
Museumsinsel on
the same day, should
buy a day ticket for
€4. Admission is free
every first Sunday in
the month. However,
Sundays are general-
ly best avoided
because of the long
queues and large
groups of visitors.
Assyrian Palace
The interior of this
palace from the days of the
Assyrian kings (12th century
BC) has been completely
restored and boasts impres-
sive statues of lions.
Ishtar Gate
The imposing Ishtar
Gate and the Processional
Way that led to it are fully
preserved. The original
avenue in ancient Babylon
was 180 m (590 ft) long.
The gate was built in the
6th century BC, during the
reign of Nebuchadnezar II.
Original faïence wall tiles
depict the sacred lions.
• Museumsinsel,
Bodestr. 1-3 (entrance
Am Kupfergraben)
•
Map G3, J5
• (030) 20 90 50
• www.smpk.de
• 10am-6pm Tue-Sun
• Admission charge
20
For more on Berlin museums
see pp46-7
