PERGAMON ALTAR OF ZEUS!
The famous Altar of Zeus at Pergamon was discovered by chance in 1871 by the German engineer Carl Humann, who was working on a railway project in the area. Following this discovery, excavations began in 1878 with permission from the Ottoman government.
During four years of excavation, 132 panels and over 2,100 marble reliefs depicting the battle between the gods and giants (Titans), along with other architectural pieces, were transported to Berlin. There, restoration and reconstruction work was carried out. Replicas were later made and sent back to Bergama, though the original altar remains in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, where it is displayed as one of the museum’s most important exhibits.
Built in the Hellenistic Age on an area measuring 69 x 77 meters, the altar was considered the most magnificent structure of the Pergamon Acropolis. As the Roman historian Lucius Ampelius noted, even 400 years after its construction, it was regarded as one of the most important works of the ancient world, built in honor of Zeus, the father of the gods.
The altar is particularly famous for its extraordinary reliefs and friezes depicting the Gigantomachy, the epic battle between the gods and giants, which adorn its outer walls. Constructed during the reign of King Eumenes II to celebrate Pergamon’s victory over the Galatians, the altar was shaped like a horseshoe and designed to be visible from all sides, with the main entrance (propylon) on the east side.
The Pergamon Altar represents the pinnacle of the Ancient Pergamon School of art and architecture, combining architectural mastery with sculptural brilliance. It remains one of the most significant artistic achievements of the Hellenistic Age, demonstrating the fusion of artistic and architectural excellence of that era.
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