Pergamon Altar

The Pergamon Altar ranks among the greatest surviving monuments from the Hellenistic world. King Eumenes II of Pergamon commissioned this massive structure around 180 to 160 BCE, likely to commemorate his military victories over the Gauls. The altar originally stood on the acropolis of Pergamon in what is now western Turkey.

The structure's defining feature is the Gigantomachy frieze, a 113-meter-long sculptural band depicting the battle between the Olympian gods and the Giants. Zeus hurls thunderbolts while Athena grasps the giant Alkyoneus by his hair. Over 100 larger-than-life figures populate this violent, emotional scene carved in deep relief that approaches freestanding sculpture.

German engineer Carl Humann began excavating Pergamon in 1878, and the work continued until 1886. The relief panels were transported to Berlin, where the Pergamon Museum was essentially built around them. The altar hall closed in 2014 for restoration and remains closed through at least 2027.