Berlin: Pergamon Museum, 2012

When we visited Berlin in 2009, the Pergamon was closed, so we were determined to see it this time. Of course we visited Pergamon in Turkey (http://roadeveron.blogspot.de/2010/11/pergamum.html) in 2010, and looked for the place of the Altar of Zeus. Pergamon is a wonderful ruin, but the Altar resides now much intact in Berlin, removed by the archaeologists. I really don't know how many museums are in the Pergamon. From the Altar of Zeus, one proceeds to the great gate of the agora from Miletus, another wonderful site in Turkey we saw in 2010 (http://roadeveron.blogspot.de/2010/11/miletus.html). A few steps away and you are in the throne room of Babylon and venturing down its royal boulevard. Upstairs is a marvelous museum of Islamic art, surely one of the largest and best in Europe. As Vicki would say, the Pergamon by itself is justification enough for visiting Berlin. I'll limit the pix to just the biggest and best items.

Altar of Zeus, Pergamon/Berlin)

A model helps to understand the scale, etc.

The scores of friezes are arrayed on the walls around the altar

Thus

A smaller temple in an adjoining room

The great gate to the agora, Miletus

Again, a helpful model; judging from the ostentatiousness, we figure it lead into
the Neiman-Marcus 

Welcome to the throne room, Babylon

More of same

On the royal boulevard (both sides of the hall)

Me

More humongous sculpture

And now in the wonderful Islamic art section; an in-laid wood ceiling, said to
be from Alhambra

Part of a wall with reliefs

And carpets and other stuff...pretty overwhelming