The Asklepion
The Asklepion
4.6
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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- deborahbC3444RB333 contributionsWhilst we knew that this was as important as the Acropolis at Pergamum the actual site surprised us with the extent of the ruins and the fact no one was visiting! (I think we saw a couple of locals walking their dogs). As you enter you can imagine what this colonnaded sacred way would have been like- shops, people....Many columns and ruins carry the distinct Asklepion symbol of the snake and one column with the carved base of intertwined snakes as you enter the sanctuary is truly impressive. Again if you take the time to wander you are rewarded with the remnants of life...temples, a library, sacred pools, treatment centre and a theatre ( fairly well restored) and a wonderful view back to the acropolis. The healing sanctuary with rooms for contagious patients was interesting...Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten April 28, 2024
- GezginAyvalik, Türkiye4,943 contributionsThe Ancient City, the Medical Center, founded by the son of APOLLON and CORONY ASCLEPIOS. The Ashlepios Daughter, who lives to this day with the Snake Ass, has also come to this day. Visit the area where the priests take the patient and heal the tunnel , the sacred path, the theater and the priestsVisited September 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 27, 2024
- OzTontoMelbourne, Australia295 contributionsThis was a very ancient wellness centre for healing the unwell - although apparently it didn't accept those who it believed could not be healed. Whilst it was very interesting I found the way the healers spoke to their patients a little eerie especially when walking through the healing tunnel. However would highly recommend a visit given its historical nature.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten April 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.6
548 reviews
Excellent
352
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169
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Lawrence V
Dunedin, New Zealand499 contributions
Aug 2022
This was the hospital for Pergamum. A road led back to Pergamum and the sick would be brought for evaluation. They have an area to evaluate if the patient is treatable or not. Then is it mental issues or physical.
These people understood wellness way back then. There is a long underground passageway where people would recover with vents. People would whisper through the vents "You are getting better .... it will be all right", or other encouragements. That opens to a well preserved theatre. Please use a guide as they can bring this site to life.
These people understood wellness way back then. There is a long underground passageway where people would recover with vents. People would whisper through the vents "You are getting better .... it will be all right", or other encouragements. That opens to a well preserved theatre. Please use a guide as they can bring this site to life.
Written September 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raintree_Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand4,461 contributions
Nov 2019
The ancient Roman spa center of Asklepion was our introduction to ancient ruins in Turkey. Fabulous, impressive columns from the Roman period, coming into view when visitors come over a small knoll. Here you can walk among interesting ruins without huge mobs of tourists.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meowy
Montgomery, AL517 contributions
Sep 2022
To see a part of the history of medicine here is really fascinating. The water treatment pools and mud baths are really interesting (plus has turtles living in them). The ruins and columns that remain are really interesting to imagine what it was like back as a hospital. Exiting the site you can get a good photo of Pergammon. Really interesting place to visit.
Written October 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lanni
Gaziantep, Türkiye5,985 contributions
Jul 2021 • Solo
Asklepion is not as grande as Acropolis in Pergamon but it is very unique site as it is related to, maybe ancient mayo clinic 😀. I like the cryptoportico or underground tunnel which until my visit time, I could hear the sound of flowing water and very theraupetical, very relaxing. The healing fountain is also other favorite spot for me and I drank the water too. Spent 2 hours to explore every spot and read all the information board.
With the heat summer in July, instead of walking to reach Asclepion, I took taxi from my hotel in old city, 25 Turkish Lira.
With the heat summer in July, instead of walking to reach Asclepion, I took taxi from my hotel in old city, 25 Turkish Lira.
Written July 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patric D
Sandbach, UK1,116 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
There's a lot to see at this site. the main focus is on the way the site was used as a centre for treating the mentally ill. Not sure if the treatments were that effective though. You either left cured, or they despatched you to the nearby leper Colony!!
You can have great fun walking through the underground tunnels that led to the various 'treatment' rooms.
Thedre os alos an amazing amphitheatre and the Temple of Trajan
You can have great fun walking through the underground tunnels that led to the various 'treatment' rooms.
Thedre os alos an amazing amphitheatre and the Temple of Trajan
Written November 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Giuliano C
Canossa, Italy6,701 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Visiting the archaeological site of Bergama before going up with the cableway, you will find the Ascleption, or the temple dedicated to the God Asclepius (the God of medicine)
Treatments for the recovery of patients with mental disorders were practiced here
There is very little left to see, so I suggest a guided tour
Treatments for the recovery of patients with mental disorders were practiced here
There is very little left to see, so I suggest a guided tour
Written October 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
onero
Brisbane, Australia893 contributions
May 2012 • Couples
I should begin by saying that these are two separate sites in the same area.
First, there is the ancient acropolis of Pergamum, perched high on its hill, and reached these days by a Cable Car from the modern town of Bergama.
Second, there is the ancient healing centre of Asclepius (the Greek god of healing) on the plain below the acropolis and one kilometer outside the modern town of Bergama.
Each of these sites have their own separate entrance and admission price.
Both are worth visiting on the one trip.
The ancient acropolis of Pergamon (also known as Pergamum ... see my TripAdvisor review) is perched on top of a steep hill. To reach its ruins, you must pay 20TL and ride the Cable Car up the hill to the ancient acropolis. Pergamon was a rich cultural town in its day, built with treasure from Alexander the Great's conquests, sited on a high will where it was safe from attack, and filled with great and famous buildings like the Altar of Zeus, the Pergamum Library and the huge Temple of Trajan. But over thousands of years, much has gone. Marc Antony gave the library away to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. The Germans dug up the famous Altar of Zeus and took it off to Berlin. Today, the famously steep Greek theatre still remains, and the Temple of Trajan has had some of its columns restored. But most of the site is still in ruins, sitting splendidly high on its hilltop. I loved the ride up there in a cosy Cable Car, gliding above ruined buildings and streets on the hillside. And I spent a pleasant hour admiring the remaining ruins and the views. Not much else remains. But it's a fascinating few hours and definitely worth a visit.
I also found the Asklepieion of Pergamum well worth a visit. It was once the world's most famous ancient medical center, and is the second-most important site in modern Bergama. It lies on the plain below the ancient acropolis of Pergamum, just over one kilometer west of the modern city, beside a large Turkish army base.
Founded by a man named Archias, the Asklepieion of Pergamum became famous under its most celebrated physician Galen (131-210 AD). He was a local physician who pursued his medical studies in Greece and Alexandria (Egypt) before settling up shop here as doctor to Pergamum's gladiators.
Cross the road from the parking lot, and pay 15TL to enter the site, then walk along a monumental marble entrance street (bordered by columns) that was once a large marketplace in front of the ancient healing ground. Even today there are shops here selling local honey, healing herbs and souvenirs. Look behind you, and you can see the acropolis of Pergamum clearly visible perched on its steep hilltop. Look to your left, and you can see tanks in the yard of the Turkish military base next door!
The marble street leads into the main precinct of the Asclepion. Here, you’ll see plenty of carved snakes on pillars and altars. These are symbols of Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. As snakes shed their skins and are ‘reborn’, so patients at the Asclepion shed their illnesses and regain health. The main precinct features a large theatre, in front of which are several stone-framed sacred pools, filled with water (and, if you’re lucky like I was, the local good luck frogs will also sometimes appear from the water channels underground to give you a “stay healthy, my friend” croak!). Long pebble-covered tunnels lead to the nearby ancient hospital wards with their individual patient recovery rooms.
How patients recovered here is not well understood. Practical medicine was mixed with clean water, healing herbs, physiotherapy, some psychoanalysis and a little help from the god. Certainly, this treatment seemed to work, for the Asclepion at Pergamum had a huge reputation for success in ancient times and still gives a strong impression of clean air and healthy location today. It’s well worth seeing if you are visiting ancient Pergamum nearby (especially if you encounter one of those good luck frogs!).
First, there is the ancient acropolis of Pergamum, perched high on its hill, and reached these days by a Cable Car from the modern town of Bergama.
Second, there is the ancient healing centre of Asclepius (the Greek god of healing) on the plain below the acropolis and one kilometer outside the modern town of Bergama.
Each of these sites have their own separate entrance and admission price.
Both are worth visiting on the one trip.
The ancient acropolis of Pergamon (also known as Pergamum ... see my TripAdvisor review) is perched on top of a steep hill. To reach its ruins, you must pay 20TL and ride the Cable Car up the hill to the ancient acropolis. Pergamon was a rich cultural town in its day, built with treasure from Alexander the Great's conquests, sited on a high will where it was safe from attack, and filled with great and famous buildings like the Altar of Zeus, the Pergamum Library and the huge Temple of Trajan. But over thousands of years, much has gone. Marc Antony gave the library away to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. The Germans dug up the famous Altar of Zeus and took it off to Berlin. Today, the famously steep Greek theatre still remains, and the Temple of Trajan has had some of its columns restored. But most of the site is still in ruins, sitting splendidly high on its hilltop. I loved the ride up there in a cosy Cable Car, gliding above ruined buildings and streets on the hillside. And I spent a pleasant hour admiring the remaining ruins and the views. Not much else remains. But it's a fascinating few hours and definitely worth a visit.
I also found the Asklepieion of Pergamum well worth a visit. It was once the world's most famous ancient medical center, and is the second-most important site in modern Bergama. It lies on the plain below the ancient acropolis of Pergamum, just over one kilometer west of the modern city, beside a large Turkish army base.
Founded by a man named Archias, the Asklepieion of Pergamum became famous under its most celebrated physician Galen (131-210 AD). He was a local physician who pursued his medical studies in Greece and Alexandria (Egypt) before settling up shop here as doctor to Pergamum's gladiators.
Cross the road from the parking lot, and pay 15TL to enter the site, then walk along a monumental marble entrance street (bordered by columns) that was once a large marketplace in front of the ancient healing ground. Even today there are shops here selling local honey, healing herbs and souvenirs. Look behind you, and you can see the acropolis of Pergamum clearly visible perched on its steep hilltop. Look to your left, and you can see tanks in the yard of the Turkish military base next door!
The marble street leads into the main precinct of the Asclepion. Here, you’ll see plenty of carved snakes on pillars and altars. These are symbols of Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing. As snakes shed their skins and are ‘reborn’, so patients at the Asclepion shed their illnesses and regain health. The main precinct features a large theatre, in front of which are several stone-framed sacred pools, filled with water (and, if you’re lucky like I was, the local good luck frogs will also sometimes appear from the water channels underground to give you a “stay healthy, my friend” croak!). Long pebble-covered tunnels lead to the nearby ancient hospital wards with their individual patient recovery rooms.
How patients recovered here is not well understood. Practical medicine was mixed with clean water, healing herbs, physiotherapy, some psychoanalysis and a little help from the god. Certainly, this treatment seemed to work, for the Asclepion at Pergamum had a huge reputation for success in ancient times and still gives a strong impression of clean air and healthy location today. It’s well worth seeing if you are visiting ancient Pergamum nearby (especially if you encounter one of those good luck frogs!).
Written July 29, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1TraveltheWorld
Alice Springs, Australia12,192 contributions
Nov 2015 • Friends
The Asclepion was an ancient healing temple and medical centre and is located at the base of the Pergamon Acropolis.
Weather it was spiritual or physical, some of the early treatments included massage, mud baths, herbal remedies and psychotherapy.
There was even a theatre built here, to entertain the patients who needed longer healing periods.
An absorbing experience of discovery and history, set amongst the fascinating architectural ruins was provided by our well-informed and knowledgeable tour guide.
Weather it was spiritual or physical, some of the early treatments included massage, mud baths, herbal remedies and psychotherapy.
There was even a theatre built here, to entertain the patients who needed longer healing periods.
An absorbing experience of discovery and history, set amongst the fascinating architectural ruins was provided by our well-informed and knowledgeable tour guide.
Written October 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pmar2uk
Cambridge, UK83 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
This was one of my most favourite sites on the tour and also the least .Firstly i dont like cable cars and that is how you access this site although i agree it was not too high,that was the least part of it . but when you get off the cable car you are presented with a fantastic view of the area and then start to Marvel how they got the stone up to such a great height.The area is fantastic and takes you a good few hours to wander round . Please note it is very high and if the weather is bad it could be windswept and miserable , also in bright sunlight you could get sunburnt very quickly .make sure you have a good guide as he can bring the site to life .
Written May 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mardi W
83 contributions
To reach the site you need to walk around 5 minutes from the ticketing gate. Go into the tunnel and walk until the end and walk outside. It is a nice spot to take the picture from the outside of the end of the tunnel.
Written March 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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