The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Documents WHC-14/38.COM/8B and WHC-14/38.COM/INF.8B1,
- Inscribes Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape, Turkey, on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (vi);
- Takes note of the following provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:
Brief synthesis
Pergamon was founded in the 3rd century B.C. Its location in the Aegean Region, the heart of the Antique World, and at the crossroads between Europe and the Middle East destined it to be an important cultural, scientific and political centre.
Pergamon and its multi-layered cultural landscape exhibit outstanding evidence of civilizations such as the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.
The Hellenistic Attalid Dynasty created Pergamon as its capital and set the scene for the city on the top of the Kale Hill. The Hellenistic capital is a supreme example of the adaptation of architecture to nature. High steep sloping terrain and the Bakırçay Plain were integrated into the urban plan. This exceptional composition of well-balanced magnificence and monumental landscape was created by a series of masterpieces of the Hellenistic Period. These include the steepest theatre of the ancient world, the longest stoas, an incredible three-terraced Gymnasium, the Great Altar of Pergamon, the tumuli and supreme pressured water pipelines, the city walls, and the Kybele Sanctuary, which was perfectly planned to have a view in line with Kale Hill. As the capital of the Attalid Dynasty, Pergamon was the protector of cities in the Hellenistic Period. It had political and artistic power during the antiquity and built up a very intense relationship with its contemporary civilisations. The rivalry between three Hellenistic dynasties caused the Attalid Dynasty to create the most famous Sculpture school as well as the antique world’s best library in Pergamon.
Becoming one of the most important provinces of Rome in Asia, Pergamon became a metropolis during the Roman Period. The Romans maintained the already existing structures of the Hellenistic Period structures while adding new functions as a cultural and imperial cult centre of the empire. Consequently, during the Roman Period, many important structures were built, including the extensive remains of the Asklepion Sanctuary, a well-known healing centre whose sacred spring still flows; the Roman Theatre; and one of the biggest Roman amphitheatres; a great aqueduct; and a perfectly preserved Trajan Temple. Also included is the world’s biggest Serapeum.
During the Byzantine Period due to the relocation of the trade roads and political centres from Aegean Region to northwest Anatolia, especially to İstanbul, Pergamon experienced a new transformation from being a major Hellenistic and Roman centre into a middle-sized town. Pergamon now has particular potential as a multi-layered cultural landscape preserving and presenting this transformation. During the Byzantine Period, Pergamon also continued its cultural-religious importance as home to one of the Seven Churches of Revelation.
After the arrival of the Ottomans, Pergamon experienced one more cultural adjustment. This was especially evident on the Bakırçay Plain. The Ottomans provided the city with all necessary urban structures, such as mosques, baths, bridges, khans, bedestens (covered bazaars), arastas (Ottoman markets) and water systems which spread especially on Roman and Byzantine layers.
The superimposition of all these different periods and cultures through continuous inhabitation in Pergamon, finds its reflection in its urban form and architecture as continuities, formations, transformations and losses due the material existence and use of space of different eras and cultures. The physical remains belonging to different periods of the historical continuity, sometimes side by side, sometimes on top of each other, form the complex urban form of Pergamon today as a ‘multi-layered town’. Hence, the physical, social and cultural traces of all the layers constituting the town’s continual history from Pergamon in Antiquity to today’s Bergama co-exist within the contemporary urban form of the town. Respectively, Pergamon becomes not only a witness of its own continual settlement history, but also an outstanding evidence of the historical, physical and cultural depth of the region and geography it belongs to.
Material evidences of historical continuity and multi-layeredness are evident in the urban structure, open areas and buildings in Pergamon. Red Hall, which was originally built by Romans as a sanctuary of Egyptian Gods, is one of the many material evidences of historical continuity and multi-layeredness. The Serapeum, once dedicated to Serapis, then later used as a St. John Church and one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. It subsequently became an Ottoman Mosque as well as the host of the Jewish Synagogue in its court. Thus, from Roman Period onwards, it has been continuously serving for religious use for different cultures till today.
These examples can be increased a lot, as there are many traces and remains of continuous settlement in Pergamon. All of these contribute to the outstanding value Bergama as a multi-layered town, with each stratified context becoming the material evidence of how the physical space is sustained, converted and re-created by changing societies and cultures through time in this region of Anatolia.
The cultural landscape of Pergamon is characterized by the visual incorporation of the rural with the urban. From the 3rd century BC onwards, the city was encircled by a ring of grave mounds of various sizes, which demonstrated Pergamon’s claim to the plain of Bakırçay as well as preparing visitors for the architectural spectacle of Pergamon. In addition to grave mounds, there were sanctuaries, such as Kybele Sanctuary at Kapıkaya, sited on prominent hills and mountain peaks in the area surrounding the city to mark the landscape as Pergamene territory. Therefore, Pergamon is “an illustrative of the evolution of human society and settlement over time, under the influence of the physical constraints and opportunities presented by their natural environment and of successive social, economic and cultural forces, both external and internal”, thus emphasizing it as a “multi-layered cultural landscape”.
Pergamon is a testimony to the unique and integrated aesthetic achievement of the civilizations. It endured the Hellenistic and the Roman, the Byzantium and the Ottoman; moved from Paganism to Christianity Judaism and Islam, all the while preserving its previous cultural features as well as the landscape of its historical surroundings.
Criterion (i): From the early settlement onwards, the way of handling urban form and architecture in an integrity with topography and nature in Pergamon, is a representation of human creative genius. In architectural and urban history, by most of the recognized scholars, the planning of Pergamon as the capital of Hellenistic Kingdom is referred as a distinctive and sophisticated case, that later have been effectual in the planning of many other sites. Among such scholars, Spiro Kostof, mentions Pergamon as “an articulate overall system of urban design” formed by sets of manmade terraces making “monumental design inherent in the natural contours” and providing “integrated series of visual and kinetic experiences”. Therefore, the overall urban plan of the Hellenistic settlement at Kale Hill, without doubt, represents a masterpiece of human creative genius.
Besides the overall plan of Pergamon, different buildings belonging to different periods in Bergama are also referred as masterpieces by archaeologists, architects and art and architectural historians. The Hellenistic Theatre integrated with the steeply topography of Kale Hill, the temples and sanctuaries, the Great Altar (although does not exist in situ today), gymnasiums, stoas, baths, palaces, library, agoras, the tumuli reflecting the human articulation of nature and expression of power over territory and landscape and the high pressured water pipe-line system can be mentioned among the architectural and engineering masterpieces of Hellenistic Period Pergamon. Serapis Temple and Sanctuary, Roman Theatre, Amphitheatre, Aqueducts, Asclepion, bridges and infrastructure are among the well-known architectural and engineering masterpieces of Roman Period. Besides all these, there exists many important monumental buildings such as mosques, minarets, khans, bedesten and hammams, which are referred as noteworthy representatives of Karesi Principality and Ottoman Periods in Bergama.
Criterion (ii): The abovementioned urban, architectural and engineering masterpieces of Pergamon reflect the major developments in architecture, technology, monumental arts and urban and landscape planning. They not only reflect the developments, but also most of them are emphasized as high spots of the development process in architecture, technology, monumental arts as well as urban and landscape planning.
In this regard, the urban and landscape planning of Pergamon in Hellenistic Period is considered as a climax in planning. Besides, it is also regarded as a notable outcome of a synthesis nourished from the cumulative background of Anatolia. Similarly, Kybele Sanctuary at Kapıkaya, with local Anatolian roots, represents the continual use, synthesis of cultures and interchange of human values through time. Also the use of Egyptian gods within the Roman Empire in Asia Minor is good evidence for the interchange of human values, as is the relocation of the Kybele meteorite to Rome, facilitated by the Attalids.
In fact, as a multi-layered city inhabited continuously from early ages onwards, the urban form and architecture in Pergamon is the result of material existence and use of space of different eras and cultures as well as the interchange of human values through time.
Criterion (iii): ‘Pergamon and its Multi-layered Cultural Landscape’ bears unique and exceptional testimony to Hellenistic urban and landscape planning. Besides all the architectural masterpieces mentioned above such as Aslepion, Serapis Temple and Sanctuary, Kybele Sanctuary at Kapıkaya and Tumuli are exceptional testimonies representing their period, culture and civilization.
Criterion (iv): Pergamon, with its urban and landscape planning and architectural masterpieces emphasized extensively in architectural and urban history, is a significant and distinctive illustrator of Hellenistic Period. Besides, the abovementioned architectural masterpieces such as Serapis Temple and Sanctuary, Asclepion, water supply system and amphitheatre are also architectural masterpieces illustrating Roman Period in Anatolia as a significant stage in history.
As important as all these, Bergama is an outstanding historic urban landscape illustrating significant stages of human existence in the geography it belongs to. In Bergama it is possible to visualize how these significant phases of human history have been materialized as a human settlement and how influential they have been in continually shaping and re-shaping an urban and cultural landscape.
Criterion (vi): Pergamon is associated with important people, schools, ideas and traditions concerning art, architecture, planning, religion and science. Pergamon sculpture school contributing the production of ‘Pergamon style’ and the school of urban planning in Hellenistic Period are worth mentioning in this sense. Kybele Cult represents a continual tradition and belief in Anatolia. In addition, the continual religious use of the Temple of Serapis -which was first constructed as a temple during the Roman Period, converted and used as a church during late Roman and Byzantine Periods, while one of its rotunda was used as a synagogue, which then continued to be used as a mosque beginning from 13th century onwards- can be shown as another outstanding example of the continuity in beliefs and traditions and their tangible association with place. The physician, surgeon and philosopher Galen, who was trained in Pergamon and whose works were disseminated from Pergamon, should also be considered in that sense. Last but not least, the tradition of production of Parchment specific to Pergamon should also be mentioned.
Integrity
In a case like Pergamon having continual inhabitation from very early ages onwards resulting in multi-layeredness regarding urban form and architecture of successive periods and cultures, integrity should be assessed from multiple perspectives.
Continual inhabitation generates the continual use of space, which inevitably embraces new formations, transformations and even eradications, besides the continuities. In this case, changes become integral part of the whole process and integrity is redefined for the same property differently in different periods.
In this respect, for Component 1: Pergamon, the multi-layered city, integrity should be assessed from multiple perspectives. First of all, the Hellenistic settlement at the Kale Hill as well as Asclepion are the sites those haven’t been inhabited after Antiquity. Those sites together with the architectural remains they embrace, are archaeological sites having integrity in themselves. The Amphitheatre and Roman Theatre essentially retain their integrity as buried archaeology as they are not excavated sites.
The Serapis Temple has been continuously used as a place for different religions throughout continual history. The building regained a new meaning and a new integrity in each period of its continual use. Similar kind of integrity is relevant for the whole urban tissue within the Component 1: Pergamon, the multi-layered city. The over ground tissue is composed of religious, commercial and residential buildings of mainly Ottoman Period which have then been subject to new formations and transformations during the Republican Period, each time regaining another integrity with its context. Besides, the tissue and its built-up and open components also have integrity with the remains of the Roman town underground.
Component 2: Kybele Sanctuary at Kapıkaya conserves its integrity in itself within its natural context.
The integrity of the Components 3-9: The Tumuli, presents a different state. Some of the Tumuli such as Yığma Tepe Tumulus (Component 4), Tavşan Tepe Tumulus (Component 6), X Tepe Tumulus (Component 7) retain their integrity as buried archaeology, while others sustains their integrity by demonstrating their visual and spatial connection with the acropolis. Also when the tumuli are considered as the articulation and domination of nature as well as the reflection of power in the natural territory of Pergamon in Antiquity, they altogether possess an integrity.
Authenticity
Different Components of ‘Pergamon and its Multi-layered Cultural Landscape’ meet the conditions of authenticity through different attributes. The Hellenistic settlement at the Kale Hill as well as Asclepion; the Amphitheatre and Roman theatre with their natural context have authenticity in form and design, materials and substance, location and setting and even spirit and feeling.
The authenticity of the Serapis Temple and sanctuary is expressed through form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions, spirit and feeling, incorporating also all the changes due to its continual use.
The authenticity of the urban tissue, is composed of religious, commercial and residential buildings of mainly Ottoman Period, should be considered with the changes occurring in time as its fundamental property. In this respect, the urban tissue today reflects an authenticity in accordance with its main character as multi-layeredness expressed through form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions and techniques.
The authenticity of Component 2 Kybele Sanctuary at Kapıkaya is also expressed through form and design, materials and substance, traditions, techniques, location and setting as well as spirit and feeling.
When the tumuli are considered as the articulation and domination of nature as well as the reflection of power in the natural territory of Pergamon in Antiquity, they altogether possess an authenticity in meaning and design of the cultural landscape.
Protection and management requirements
The entire first degree archaeological sites within the WH nominated property including Kale Hill, the aqueducts, the Asclepion, the Musalla Mezarlık Roman Pleasure district, the Serapeum, the tumuli and Kybele rock-cut Sanctuary, and the urban sites are under protection of National Preservation Law, no.2863. All monuments, whoever the owner is, within the urban sites are also protected by National Preservation Law no.2863. These urban sites mostly form the Ottoman neighbourhoods and trading areas and most have second or third degree archaeological site statute. Any and all kinds of conservation, preservation or construction works related to the monuments, within the archaeological and/or urban site, are subject to approval from the Regional Conservation Council-2.
Bergama Municipality prepared an Urban Conservation Plan in 2012 to preserve the urban site in a unified way with its neighbourhood. Street facades and traditional structuring details including techniques, materials used and lay-out setting were all taken into account.
Management of the nominated property is co-ordinated by Bergama Municipality World Heritage Management Office, which was established at the end of the 2011, and by the ‘’Advisory Body’’ and “Coordination and Supervision Body’’ which are responsible for approving and implementing the management plan and in which state and local administrative institutions, universities, NGOs and representative of muhktars have a seat, were established and accordingly a site management was appointed. Apart from the present preservation and conservation system the World Heritage Management Office and the relevant bodies have started to prepare a management plan, which will be the main guide for co-operation and comprehensive monitoring of the entire World Heritage Nominated Property that is planned to finish in the beginning of 2016.
- Also takes note of:
- the extension of the buffer zone of component part 1 having included all the tumuli and their visual connections to the acropolis,
- the buffer zone of component part 2 to comply with the natural protection zone beyond the Selinos river to the south and west,
- that the State Party has put in effect integrated protection measures at the highest level;
- Further takes note of the visual impact assessment to foresee possible indications of constructions within the boundaries of the property and buffer zone to ensure visual integrity between the tumuli and the acropolis;
- Requests the State Party to complete the Management Plan expeditiously and submit a progress report by 1 December 2015 for review by ICOMOS;
- Also recommends that the State Party give consideration to the following:
- Improving the monitoring system by specifying which organisation is responsible for monitoring each indicator and include seismic monitoring,
- Restricting vehicle access to the acropolis except emergency services;
- Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2015, a report, including a 1-page executive summary, on the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 40th session in 2016.