Pergamon

This is a view from the Asclepion of Pergamon towards the Acropolis, which true to its name is on the top of the hill in the background.

We visited Pergamon as one of the seven churches mentioned in the Revelation to St John, found at the end of the bible. However, to me one of the most salutary lessons of this visit comes not from the biblical text, but rather from the many ruins we visited along the seven churches trail. Several times I was struck by just how desolate (albeit picturesque) and empty are the ruined sites of what were once major cities. It is estimated that Pergamon had about 200,000 inhabitants in the 2nd century AD, but no one lives among the ruins today. Like so many cities in the area, its downfall can traced (literally!) to an earthquake – a reminder that the what happened in a relatively minor way in Istanbul today has been going on for millennia in this region.

I had originally thought this would simply be a pen drawing, but in the end I decided to add watercolour to add shape and shading – seems to have worked.