Germany Guide
Berlin
The Pergamonmuseum
Address: Museum Island; U- & S-Bahn Friedrichstrasse
Opening time: Daily 10am–6pm, Thurs until 10pm
The massive Pergamonmuseum was built in the early twentieth century in the style of a Babylonian temple primarily to house the treasure-trove of the Department of Antiquities, particularly the Pergamon Altar, a huge structure dedicated to Zeus and Athena, dating from 180 to 160 BC. The frieze shows a battle between the gods and giants and is tremendously forceful, with powerfully depicted figures writhing in a mass of sinew and muscle. The Middle Eastern Section has items going back four thousand years, including the enormous Ishtar Gate, the Processional Way and the facade of the Throne Room from Babylon, all of which date from the sixth century BC. It's impossible not to be awed by its size and remarkable condition, but at the same time bear in mind that much is a mock-up, built around the original finds. Look out for the weird mythical creatures that adorn the gate, and check the small model of the whole structure to get some idea of its enormous scale. Pride of place in the museum's Islamic Section goes to the relief-decorated facade of a Jordanian Prince's Palace at Mshatta, from 743 AD. Also worth seeking out is the Aleppo Room, a reception chamber with carved wooden wall decorations, reassembled after being removed from a merchant's house in present-day Syria.