LIBRARY OF PERGAMUM
According to Strabo, the Library of Pergamum was built during the reign of King Eumenes II and is recognized as the only Hellenistic library discovered to date. Unfortunately, only a few remains of this four-room library have survived over the centuries.
Ancient sources suggest that during the Roman period, the library housed approximately 12,000–13,000 books. Many of these works were written on papyrus imported from Egypt, while a smaller portion was written on parchment. Pergamum is historically significant for pioneering the use of parchment, which is believed to have been named after the city—“pergament”—especially after the Egyptian Ptolemaic rulers halted the export of papyrus, as noted by the Roman historian Marcus Varro, who lived in Bergama.
INVENTION OF PARCHMENT
The invention of parchment is closely linked to the rivalry between the libraries of Alexandria and Pergamon. In response to Pergamon’s growing prominence, the Egyptian king banned the export of papyrus to Anatolia. Seeking an alternative, King Eumenes II organized a competition, offering substantial prizes to anyone who could create a suitable substitute.
The challenge was met by Krates, the director of the Pergamon Library, who developed parchment by preparing and treating lambskin. Since it was first produced in Pergamon, it was named “Pergamana”. Parchment can be made from the skins of sheep, goats, calves, pigs, or antelopes and requires a labor-intensive process.
The preparation begins by carefully cutting away the inner flesh of the skin with special scissors. Lime is then applied to clean it, followed by rubbing the surface with pumice stone. Finally, a thin layer of starch-based glue is applied and polished. The result is a durable writing material that can be used on both sides, resists tearing and burning, and became widely used around the world starting from the 2nd century AD.
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[2025 Update] The Library of Pergamum — once the second largest library of the ancient world after Alexandria — continues to captivate book lovers, historians, and curious travelers visiting the Pergamon Acropolis in 2025. The invention of parchment (pergamon/vellum) as a writing material, attributed to Pergamum’s scribes, fundamentally changed the history of knowledge preservation and is a fascinating story to explore on-site. New interpretive panels at the library’s ruins help visitors understand the structure’s original layout and its rivalry with the Library of Alexandria. For intellectually curious travelers, the Library of Pergamum is one of the most thought-provoking ancient sites in all of Turkey.
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