Bergama Museum

Bergama Museum is an archaeological and ethnographic museum located in Bergama district of İzmir Province, western Turkey. Founded in 1932 and opened to the public on 30 October 1936, it serves as the principal repository for finds from the ancient city of Pergamon and its surrounding region. The museum occupies a significant place in Turkish cultural heritage, preserving artifacts that remained in the country after major monuments, most notably the Pergamon Altar friezes, were removed to Berlin in 1870.

The establishment of the museum arose from growing recognition that local finds deserved on-site preservation and display. Marshal Fevzi Çakmak proposed the creation of the museum during a visit in 1932. Following his initiative, İzmir Governor Kazım Dirik commissioned architects Bruno Meyer and Harold Hanson to design the building, with construction beginning in 1933. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk inspected the construction site during his visit to Pergamon on 13 April 1934. Governor Fazlı Güleç officially inaugurated the museum on 30 October 1936, with Osman Bayatlı appointed as its first director. Bayatlı also initiated restoration work on the nearby Red Hall during the 1930s. A major expansion came in 1979 with the addition of a new wing, which incorporated the collections of the former Ethnographic Museum and provided space for laboratories, a photography studio, storage, and archives.

The museum holds both archaeological and ethnographic collections. Its archaeological holdings derive primarily from excavations around Bergama, including the ancient city of Pergamon itself, as well as from nearby sites. The collection encompasses sculpture, architectural elements, ceramics, mosaics, inscriptions, and coins spanning from the Archaic period through Roman times. The ethnographic collection features regional textiles, particularly carpets and rugs from Bergama, Yuntdağ, and Yağcıbekir, along with traditional costumes and fine handicrafts. Since the 1990s, the museum has also received finds from rescue excavations at Allianoi, a site threatened by reservoir flooding.

Among the most significant archaeological pieces are a statue of Emperor Hadrian discovered in the library of the Asklepieion, a floor mosaic with a central Medusa head, and a stone horse from the 2nd century BCE associated with the Pergamon Altar. The collection includes multiple statuettes and statues of Roman emperors and prominent local figures. A notable sarcophagus, found unplundered in the potters' quarter along the Ketios river, contained the burned skeleton of an eleven- to twelve-year-old boy together with rich grave goods. Other important items include inscribed tablets, reliefs, friezes, and statues from the Gymnasion, plus an acroterion with a floating Nike that once adorned the gable of the propylon in the Asklepieion. The oldest exhibited piece is a kouros from the 6th century BCE, originating from Pitane (modern Çandarlı). Additional ceramic finds come from Gryneion, while terracotta figurines derive from Myrina. In September 2010, archaeologists from the German Archaeological Institute discovered a grave chamber on a hill northeast of the citadel; the tomb door, damaged by looters, was transported by helicopter to the museum for protection.

The museum stands on Cumhuriyet Caddesi, the main street of Bergama city, to the south of the street proper. Its coordinates are 39°07′00″N 27°10′33″E. The original building, designed by architects Bruno Meyer and Harold Hanson, opened in 1936. The 1979 extension added substantial new facilities while integrating the ethnographic collections. The site lies approximately one kilometre southwest of the Red Hall and two kilometres south of the Acropolis, placing it within easy reach of Bergama's major ancient monuments. The distance to İzmir is about 110 kilometres.

Bergama Museum is situated in Bergama city, İzmir Province, Turkey, approximately 110 kilometres from İzmir. It operates under the administration of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as indicated by its official website. The museum continues to serve as a regional centre for archaeological research and conservation, with on-site laboratories, photographic studio, storage depot, and archive facilities established in the 1979 extension. Its holdings from ongoing excavations, including those conducted by the German Archaeological Institute, ensure that the collection continues to grow and reflect new archaeological discoveries in the region.