Ever since my university days, studying art-history of the ancient world, I dreamed of seeing the Altar of Pergamon located in the world famous Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
The Pergamon Museum is situated on the Museum Island. It was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930 and was built as a three-wing complex. The museum now houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung (Antiquities Collection), Vorderaisatisches Museum (Middle Eastern Museum), and the Museum fur Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art).
The Pergamon Museum is situated on the Museum Island. It was constructed in twenty years, from 1910 to 1930 and was built as a three-wing complex. The museum now houses three of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin’s collections: the Antikensammlung (Antiquities Collection), Vorderaisatisches Museum (Middle Eastern Museum), and the Museum fur Islamische Kunst (Museum for Islamic Art).
You can imagine my disappointment when upon arriving, we found that the Altar of Pergamon, the focus of our journey, was closed as part of the extensive renovation the museum will be undergoing until 2017.
Fortunately, the museum also holds other amazing archaeological treasures that soon captured my attention. Since the museum flow is currently altered, you are greeted, after entering, by the great and beautiful Ishtar Gate.
Fortunately, the museum also holds other amazing archaeological treasures that soon captured my attention. Since the museum flow is currently altered, you are greeted, after entering, by the great and beautiful Ishtar Gate.
The Ishtar Gate which was dedicated to the Goddess Ishtar, was constructed by the Babylonian King Nebucadnezzar II around 575 BCE. It was the eighth gate of the city of Babylon (in present day Iraq) and was the main entrance into the city. This massive entrance structure is tiled in bright glazed bricks of stunning shades of blue, yellow and orange and brown, portraying a parade of young bulls, lions and dragons representing Babylonian deities.
Lions are associated with Ishtar, a goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. The bulls are associated with Adad, a weather god, and dragons with Marduk, the chief god of Babylon.
I couldn’t stop thinking “I am gazing up at the same gate portal that Nebuchadnezzar, his army and his priests walked through”
Lions are associated with Ishtar, a goddess of fertility, love, war and sex. The bulls are associated with Adad, a weather god, and dragons with Marduk, the chief god of Babylon.
I couldn’t stop thinking “I am gazing up at the same gate portal that Nebuchadnezzar, his army and his priests walked through”
Interest in Mesopotamian and Babylonian archaeology intensified in the late 19th century and the excavation of the Ishtar Gate ran from 1902 to 1914. The recovered bricks were eventually restored and reassembled in Berlin and the reconstruction was completed in 1930.
In its original form, the Ishtar Gate would have opened out to the grand Processional Way. The parade route was a brick-paved corridor over half a mile long with walls over 50 feet tall (15.2 m) on each side.
The walls are adorned with over 120 sculptural lions, flowers, and enameled yellow tile patterns. The Processional Way was used for the New Year's celebration, down which priests and celebrants would parade statues of the deities. The Processional Way lead to the temple of Marduk.
These glazed brick walls now line a long museum hall where you can sit and take in the beautiful designs.
The walls are adorned with over 120 sculptural lions, flowers, and enameled yellow tile patterns. The Processional Way was used for the New Year's celebration, down which priests and celebrants would parade statues of the deities. The Processional Way lead to the temple of Marduk.
These glazed brick walls now line a long museum hall where you can sit and take in the beautiful designs.
During this period of intense German archaeological excavation, a number of artifacts were unearthed and brought back to Berlin for display.
Above and Below: Human–headed winged lion (lamassu), 883–859 b.c.; Neo–Assyrian period, reign of Ashurnasirpal II - Excavated at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Mesopotamia
Above: Inscribed Mesopotamian Stele - 8th - 14th century
Above: Part of facade of the Temple of Ananna in Uruk - Southern Mesopotamia, Iraq
Each figure holds a vessel. Commissioned by Kassite ruler Kara-indash in 1413
Each figure holds a vessel. Commissioned by Kassite ruler Kara-indash in 1413
Above: Bird-headed hybrids (Assyrian. Apkallu) with buckets and cones, Reliefs from the Palace of Assurnasirpal II at Nimrud (modern Iraq) 883 - 859 BC - Alabastar - Many of these reliefs portray the king surrounded by winged protective spirits, or engaged in hunting or on campaign.
Above: Lions of Sam'al (southern Turkey) c. 800 BC
Above: Basalt Relief 8th century - Sam'al / Zincirli (Southwest Asia),
Above: Hunting Scene c. 750 BC - Syrian
Above: Stele of King Kilamula dated from the second half of the 9th century
The Ishtar Gate is not the only impressive architectural antiquity in the museum. The Market Gate of Miletus is sequestered in an immense corner room dedicated to the display of Hellenistic architecture and sculpture. The room is accessed through the portal of the Ishtar Gate and is equally spectacular.
The Roman gate was built in the ancient Greek city of Miletus (modern day Turkey) in the 2nd century AD, most likely during the reign of Emperor Hadrian about 120 to 130 AD. Before the Persian invasion in the middle of the 6th century BC, Miletus was considered the greatest and wealthiest of Greek cities and the gate provided entrance to market or Agora (Greek).
The Roman gate was built in the ancient Greek city of Miletus (modern day Turkey) in the 2nd century AD, most likely during the reign of Emperor Hadrian about 120 to 130 AD. Before the Persian invasion in the middle of the 6th century BC, Miletus was considered the greatest and wealthiest of Greek cities and the gate provided entrance to market or Agora (Greek).
The gate is made of marble and is about 30 meters (approx. 98 ft.) wide, 16 meters (approx. 52 ft.) tall. The two-story structure has three doorways and a number of projections and niches. At roof level and in between the floors are ornate friezes with bull and flower reliefs. The structure's protruding pediments are supported by Corinthian and composite columns.
Already ancient, the gate was destroyed in an earthquake in the 10th or 11th century and what was left of the rubble was covered over the centuries. Work on a series of excavations in Miletus occurred from 1899 through 1911. In 1903, the Market Gate of Miletus was again excavated and from 1907 to 1908, fragments of the gate were transported to Berlin. Kaiser Wilhelm II, was so impressed that he ordered the gate's reconstruction at full scale "like a theater backdrop" in the Pergamon Museum.
Across from the Gate of Miletus is the Trajaneum Hall (stoa) of Pergamon and the Cartinia Tomb from Falerii. The rounded structure at the front center is the Cartinia Tomb from Falerii, Italy; it dates to the third quarter of the 1st century AD. The stoa dates to ca. 114 - 129.
The other Greek and Roman artifacts in the room included beautifully crafted columns with capitals, lintels, pediments, sculptured figures, mosaics, and grave stele.
Above: Mosaic Floor - also from Miletus, depicts Orpheus, dating to the second century AD. An important figure in Greek religion and mythology, Orpheus was known for his ability to charm birds, animals and even humans with his music. He is often depicted with a lyre.
We eventually found our way to the Islamic Art section of the museum. After the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo it is the oldest and one of the most important collections of its kind in the world showcasing a comprehensive collection of masterpieces of art and applied arts and objects of material culture stemming from Islamic societies as well as the Christian and Jewish communities living among them.
Above: The Allepo Room 1600 - 1603 - intact room paneling from receiving room of Allepo Syria dwelling House Wakil. Commissioned by a Christian merchant named Isa b. Butrus ("Jesus, son of Peter") is mentioned in inscriptions. In an inscription he is called simsar.
Above: Archaeological Finds from Samarra in Iraq, Residence of the caliphs 836-892 AD
Above: Prayer Nitch 1226 - Iran
Above: Alhambra Cupola, a fourteenth-century wooden ceiling that once was part of the famous Islamic palace in Granada, Spain. Made from hundreds of pieces of intricately carved and painted wood,
it is one of the earliest and finest surviving Nasrid ceilings.
it is one of the earliest and finest surviving Nasrid ceilings.
Above: 13th century glass - Mamluks
Above: Prayer Nitch, 13th century - Seljuks of Rum - Turkish
Abvoe: Basin and Pitcher 1251 - 1275 Ayyubid Dynasty - Iraq Brass with gold and silver inlay
Above photo: Curved Knife - Qajar period (1796 - 1924) from 1st part of the 19th century, Iran - Depicts the Shaw wearing a European hat, with two sons and royal household
Above: Carpets, 16th century - Ottoman - Turkey
The Mshatta Façade is the star of the Islamic Art section of the museum. This impressive architectural façade belonged to the 8th century Palace of Mschatta whose ruins are about 30 km south of the Jordanian capital Amman. It was a winter desert palace and probably dates to the era of the Caliph Al-Walid II (743-744).
Mshatta's decor is particularly interesting in that it suggests the early Muslim community was attentive to distinctions between secular and sacred space. While most of the decoration filling the zig-zag shapes along the facade's walls are populated with animated creatures entirely in keeping with secular elite residential décor, one side lacks animals of any kind. This is the qibla wall, on the side facing Mecca, along which was located the qasr's mosque.
Even though we couldn’t see the Altar of Pergamon (already planning to go back in 2017!) and the collection on view was abbreviated due to the renovation, the Pergamon Museum is wonderful and well worth the long wait to get inside!
Our tip…. Show up at least 40 minutes before opening time to get toward the front of the line and if in summer, to beat the heat!
Also, if you have the time in your itinerary, plan at least three days, to visit all the museums in the complex. Visiting even one will be exhausting, so spreading them out over a few days will make them much easier to take in. Overload is never fun!
Also, if you have the time in your itinerary, plan at least three days, to visit all the museums in the complex. Visiting even one will be exhausting, so spreading them out over a few days will make them much easier to take in. Overload is never fun!
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