Pergamum was a small settlement during the Archaic period. Homer mentions in The Iliad that the god Zeus travelled from Mount Olympus to Pergamum to watch the Trojan War unfold below.
The Temple of Athena, dedicated to the goddess of wisdom and war who was considered the city's protector, was the most important structure of the Acropolis. During excavations, many parts of the Temple of Athena were transported to Berlin and reconstructed there according to its original design. Only the foundations remain in Bergama today.
North of the Temple of Athena was a library, one of the largest libraries of the Hellenistic period. In 41 BC, the Roman military commander and statesman Marcus Antonius gave the entire collection to Egyptian Queen Cleopatra as a wedding gift.
South of the Temple of Athena stood the Altar of Zeus, constructed as a memorial to commemorate the victory against the Galatians. The Altar of Zeus was also transported to Berlin, restored, and placed in the Pergamon Museum.
On the steep slope west of the Temple of Athena lies a theatre with a capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators, dating from the Hellenistic period. This theatre had the steepest seating arrangement of any known ancient theatre. Another important temple on the Acropolis is the Temple of Dionysus.
One of the significant areas of the Middle City was the Sanctuary of Demeter.
The Gymnasium was the largest building complex in the Middle City, where various sports activities and competitions were held, and served as a place for socializing and intellectual pursuits.
West of the Gymnasium was the Temple of Asclepius, of which only the foundations survive today. The temple, dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine, was not only a religious site but also a medical school where research and experiments were conducted. Patients were treated through water therapy, music, and suggestion. Doctors analyzed patients' dreams as part of the healing process. Galen was the most famous physician of the Asclepion.
The Temple of Serapis is another notable structure in Bergama, dating from the 1st century AD.
The lower section of Pergamum, known as the Lower City, contained the Agora, a school of sculpture, and residential houses.
Between the northwest of the city and the Bergama River lies a Roman-period settlement. This area featured an amphitheatre with a capacity of 50,000 spectators and a theatre for 30,000 spectators.
Pergamum has been occupied since the Archaic period but became particularly powerful during the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Excavations in Pergamum were conducted by German archaeologists, with Carl Humann discovering the Altar of Pergamum. The museum in Bergama is Turkey's first archaeological museum, where findings from the excavations are displayed.