Bergama refers to a city and its surrounding district in İzmir Province, in the Aegean Region of the Republic of Turkey. Known for its cotton, gold, and fine carpets, the city was in ancient times a Greek and Roman cultural center; its wealth of ancient ruins continues to attract considerable tourist interest today.
Located on a promontory north of the Bakırçay river, 26km removed from the Aegean Sea, Bergama has a population of about 55,000. The ruins of the ancient city of Pergamon lie to the north and west of the modern city; Roman Pergamon is believed to have sustained a population of approximately 150,000 at its height in the first century AD.[1].
Among Bergama's notable ruins are the Sanctuary of Asclepius (or Asclepeion), a tribute to the ancient Greek demigod of healing, and the "Red Basilica" complex ("Kızıl Avlu" in Turkish), a second century AD construction of the Emperor Hadrian that straddles the Selinus River. The town also features an archaeological museum.