Pergamon - images of an ancient city

Berlin's Pergamon Museum is being completely renovated for the first time since it opened in 1930, and thus the north wing with the famous Pergamon Altar is closed. Until its reopening in 2024, the multimedia exhibition "Pergamon Museum. The Panorama" will serve as a substitute. It is housed in a temporary building right next door. A central element are the 3D representations of the ancient city.

The exhibition concept was developed by Berlin-based artist Yadegar Asisi together with the Collection of Classical Antiquities of the National Museums in Berlin. Virtual worlds are complemented by original works of art from the Pergamon Altar. For the first time, many of them can be seen up close, like the large sculptures from the roof of the altar. Part of the Telephos frieze can also be seen.

From a gallery visitors can let their gaze wander over the ancient Pergamon. The 360-degree Pergamon panorama reworked by Yadegar Asisi is the highlight of the exhibition. It shows the city as it could have looked in 129 AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. To this end, the artist enlivened the panorama with countless everyday scenes.

Asisi (on the right) has added 40 new everyday scenes to the panorama. The last big photo shooting with extras took place in October 2017. In Asisis' Pergamon, people philosophize and debate, teach and celebrate. There are also sacrificial rituals on the Pergamon Altar and, of course, everyday market scenes. There the artist has snuck in - as a vegetable seller.

In June 2018 Yadegar Asisi saw his work in full size for the first time. The 360-degree panorama was assembled. This required the use of alpine climbers. They placed the 104 x 30 meter (341 x 98 ft.) picture in the rotunda of the exhibition building. The previous version, which was on display in the Parade Court of the Pergamon Museum in 2011/12, attracted 1.5 million visitors.

The project "Pergamon Museum. The Panorama" is housed in a building that was erected solely for this purpose. It is lightweight and can be dismantled at any time. It is located directly opposite the Museum Island and will only disappear when the Pergamon Museum is reopened.

Since 2014, the Pergamon Museum, the magnet for visitors to the Museum Island, has been partially closed for renovation work. Initially, the construction work in the north wing was scheduled to last five years. The Pergamon Museum is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Museum Island", which comprises five buildings.

The Pergamon Museum was once built for it - the Pergamon Altar. The stone colossus with the legendary giant frieze measures 30 by 30 meters and is more than 2000 years old. It was discovered at the end of the 19th century during excavations on the west coast of present-day Turkey. The altar is considered by many researchers to be the eighth wonder of the ancient world.

The fact that the precious altar has to remain in place during the renovation phase makes the construction work in the Pergamon Museum even more difficult. Behind the covers, sensors measure humidity and temperature around the clock. They also indicate when the construction work causes a vibration - which has happened several times. So far the altar has remained undamaged by these.

If you want to visit the place where the Pergamon Altar was once found, you have to travel to today's Turkey. About 100 kilometers (62 mi) north of the Turkish port city of Izmir lies Bergama - the former Pergamon, which was one of the most important cultural centers of antiquity. The ruins of the Acropolis are still being explored. In 2016 Bergama was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.