The Pergamon Altar: a marvel of the Ancient World (2024)

The Altar of Zeus, also called the Pergamon Altar, is a monumental structure built to commemorate the victory of the Pergamon Kingdom over the Galatians. The Altar, referred to as the Throne of Satan in the Book of St. John, was dedicated to the god Zeus in commemoration of the victory of Attalos II over the Galatians during the period of Eumenes II (197 – 159 BC). This structure, which housed the most magnificent examples of sculpture of the time, was never fully completed as King Prusias II attacked Pergamon in 156 BC.
In 1864, a German engineer discovered the remains of a lost wonder of the world, the Altar of Pergamon, in the west of the Ottoman Empire. Berlin wanted what was left for its Museum Island. And got it! The replica in the Pergamon Museum continues to impress visitors to this day.
In ancient times, the Pergamon Altar was considered a "wonder of the world" before it was almost completely destroyed. Today, a replica of it is on display in a museum in Berlin. The gigantic altar frieze with its expressive fighting gods fascinates numerous visitors from all over the world. The frieze was also lost for a long time until a German architect rediscovered remains in Bergama, Turkey in the 19th century. The documentary examines how the altar came to Berlin and why it was received so enthusiastically that an entire museum was built for it.
When you think of the Pergamon Altar, you automatically think of the reconstructed facade in Berlin's Pergamon Museum - with the large staircase and the expressive figures of gods and giants. Only a small part of it is actually old. This is because the ancient wonder of the world was destroyed forever over 1000 years ago. The famous Hellenistic relief images made of marble have been preserved.