Red Basilica

The city of Pergamon during the Roman Period developed predominantly in the plain where modern Bergama is located today. The Red Courtyard, one of the most important and largest architectural complexes in the ancient world of the Roman Period for the entire eastern Mediterranean, is also situated here. (Bachman, 2023, pp.48-67)

Known as the Red Courtyard due to its construction with red bricks, the basilica was built in honor of the Egyptian god Serapis during the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. The Red Courtyard, measuring 270×100 meters, extends from its basement to a place known as the Artillery Barracks or animal market. At the entrance of the Red Courtyard, there is a gate that is 7 meters wide and 14 meters high, and a single piece of marble block weighing 70 tons. With a height exceeding 19 meters, the temple is considered the tallest structure from antiquity in Anatolia. The church built inside the basilica during the Byzantine Period has altered its original structure. (Aydın, 2003, pp. 78,156) Additionally, it is understood from old photographs that there was intense industrial production in the area where the architectural complex is located during the 19th and 20th centuries. All additions and changes made over the original structure have not only distorted its original form but also negatively affected the structure from a static point of view. The walls of the main courtyard of the Red Courtyard, made of red bricks, the temenos wall located on the east side of the courtyard, towers, domes of the towers, and the lead roofs of the domes have been strengthened through restoration work, making the site suitable for visitation. (Bachman, 2023, pp.48-67)