From Troy we were on the way south again and reached Bergama with the ancient Greek city of Pergamon on top of a hill.
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| Temple of Trajan |
We passed through Bergama which is a modern city. From there, a very steep road leads up the hill to the Akropolis of Pergamon. There is also a funicular going up the hill, but it had stopped due to the strong winds.
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| Centre of Bergama |
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| Very steep part on the way up |
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| Very strong wind made the camper rock |
Pergamon was a rich and powerful ancient Greek city in the north-west of Asia Minor. During the Hellenistic period, it became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon, which transformed it into one of the major cultural centres of the Greek world. Remains of its impressive monuments can still be seen, but like the Pergamon Altar, many outstanding pieces are in museums like the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. When we had visited Berlin, the Pergamon Altar was under renovation, and we didn’t have the chance to see it there either.
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| Strong walls protected the city |
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| Huge sub-construction to create a platform for the temple |
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| Temple of Trajan |
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| Corinthian order |
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| Many beautiful parts lie in piles, probably never assembled again |
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| The steepest Roman theatre in the world |
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| View from the windy top |
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| Strolling through Bergama |
In the hope to find warmer weather further south, we were on the way again, passing through Izmir, a big and modern city.
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| High-risers of Izmir |
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| Modern business area of Izmir |
Close to Ephesus, our next destination, we found a long lonesome beach to park for the night.
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| Parking for the Night |
