The Great Altar of Pergamon, a massive stone podium about one hundred feet long and thirty-five feet high, was originally built in the 2nd century BCE in the Ancient Greek city of Pergamon (modern day Bergama in Turkey) in north-western Anatolia, 25.74 kilometers (16 miles) from the Aegean Sea. The Great Altar of Pergamon has figured in lists of the Wonders of the World.
It has long been assumed that the magnificently-scaled and opulently decorated open-air altar (it is not a temple) was dedicated to Zeus. The altar appears to be mentioned in the Book of Revelation, Revelation 2:12-13: "In Pergamos where Satan's Throne is". The only lengthy reference to it in Antiquity is in the Liber Memorialis of Ampelius (8.14), where it is described as "a large marble altar, forty feet high with a great many sculptures, among which a Battle of the Giants."
"Political considerations at Pergamon made it necessary to glorify the civic and religious center of the small city-state", Herbert Hoffmann observed in 1952. "The high podium served to impress the exalted position of the altar, situated as it was on a high elevation, upon foreign visitors as they approached along the plain to partake in the biennial festival of Athena Nikephoros".
Some fragments from the frieze (the back view of a Giant, probably from Worksop Manor, and a dead giant, found at Fawley Court have been identified), perhaps collected by William Petty, were part of Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel's collection of Antiquities at Arundel House, Strand, London, but rejected, as too weathered, for inclusion in the gift to the Ashmolean Museum. However, the main excavation was carried out in two campaigns, in 1879 and 1904, and shipped out of the Ottoman Empire by the German archaeological team led by Carl Humann; it was reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, built in part to receive it, from 1910, where it can be seen alongside other monumental structures such as the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon.
The Altar has a 113 metre (371 feet) long sculptural frieze depicting the gigantomachy, or struggle of the gods and the giants. "the frieze is composed of a sequence of isolated, tightly-knit and self-contained groups and figures" each unit assigned to one workshop. Many inscriptions on the lower moulded margin identify the sculptor responsible and his city.
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paura (47166) 2009-07-22 6:08
Linda e bem tomada fotografia para mostrar esse inc~rivel lugar. A iluminacao ficou excelente. Beleza de trabalho, amigo.
snunney (76402) 2009-07-22 6:13
A great capture of this massive monument. The point of view is well chosen to show it off to good effect; whilst the visitors create a sense of scale. Excellent detail.
SNOOP_Chan (3753) 2009-07-22 6:36
Ciao Silvio, this is an amazing work of art. What amazes me the most is the fact that the building is not in outdoors. Beautiful architecture and a good note, wd!
coco (30437) 2009-07-22 6:47
I think I would go to Berlin only to see this marvelous masterpiece.
And your photo show us very well it.
peppe59 (14551) 2009-07-22 8:38
bellissima immagine di questo edificio dell'arte, sembra essere nella stanza, la qualità è superba.
Gran bel lavoro.
ciakgiak (30403) 2009-07-22 9:43
sicuramente un autentico capolavoro dell'architettura ellenistica che tu hai fotografato con un perfetto POV, peccato solamente che le condizioni di luce non fossero ottimali per esaltarne al massimo le fattezze, ma tu credo abbia fatto mircoli. Un caro abbraccio.
mauro61 (52623) 2009-07-22 11:22
scatto perfetto in condizioni di luce difficili.
Scena animata e bella testimonianza fotografica,bravo+
cobra112 (15589) 2009-07-22 12:45
Ciao Silvio. Effettivamante ci hai portato dentro tanto è realistica questa interna. Ottima luce e nitidezza.
emka (68624) 2009-07-22 14:40
Ciao Silvio, haven't you met there Krzysztof? He also visited Pergamon Museum. Very interesting view. But probably this altar's place should be in Pergamon. impressive monume nt.
TopGeo (38128) 2009-07-22 15:54
Ciao Silvio.They is from the important shoots of these monuments of Pergamon Him I admired at my visit but also in the picture your your also Supremacy choice note!Beautiful architecture well work!
Nicou (111328) 2009-07-23 0:32
Quel cadrage, superbe image, ce escalier, ce sole, avec la belle verrière au sommet, image vivante avec les personnage, de toute beauté, j'aime bien aussi le gardien à doite qwui observe.
Bravo et maitié
AKITA (15125) 2009-07-23 0:36
a wonderful panoramic view of it in the museum.
superb artistic and historic building, and your POV is nice to express its characteristics very well.
I can imagine ancient people on the steps, their figures are quite different from present people, they looks having self-confidence and conviction of art.
thank you for your excellent shot,
mikolaj_kawa (0) 2009-07-23 0:43
Ciao Silvio! Perfect capture. Ideal light and colours. Good contrast and sharpness. Very good POV and composition. Original shot. Well done!
polpo56 (15134) 2009-07-23 8:52
oltre alla bella prospettiva, ciò che colpisce è il quasi totale monocromatismo dell'ambiente.