Pergamon Museum

The Pergamon Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island is a large museum of antiquities and Near Eastern and Islamic art, built in the early 20th century and opened in its present form in 1930. It is best known for its large-scale archaeological reconstructions displayed in purpose-built halls.

The museum’s three headline exhibits are the Pergamon Altar (Hellenistic, 2nd century BC), the Ishtar Gate and Processional Way from Babylon (6th century BC), and the Market Gate of Miletus (Roman, 2nd century AD). These monumental reconstructions occupy entire halls and are presented at near-original scale.

In addition to the monumental architecture, the museum holds extensive collections of sculpture, reliefs and decorative stonework from antiquity, as well as Islamic art that includes room-sized architectural ensembles. Exhibition spaces are large and can be crowded when guided groups are present.

Designed by Alfred Messel and later completed by Ludwig Hoffmann, the building was constructed in the early 20th century and opened in 1930. The museum’s holdings were assembled from excavations and acquisitions across the 19th and early 20th centuries and the building has undergone repairs and updates since World War II.

Situated on Museum Island in central Berlin on the Spree river, the Pergamon Museum shares the island with other major museums and is within easy walking distance of Berlin Cathedral and Alexanderplatz.

• Entry and renovation: Some major galleries require separate tickets or timed entry; check current opening and renovation status before visiting.

What to See #

• Main collections: Houses the three main collections of the museum: the Collection of Classical Antiquities with the Pergamon Altar and Market Gate of Miletus, the Near Eastern Museum with the Ishtar Gate, and the Museum of Islamic Art with architectural rooms and decorative arts.
• Monumental reconstructions: Contains the monumental reconstructions of the Pergamon Altar, the Market Gate of Miletus, and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, displayed in large purpose-built halls.