Red Basilica, Bergama

Overview

In the middle of Bergama, huge walls of red brick rise above the houses. Locals call them Kızıl Avlu, the Red Courtyard; visitors know them as the Red Basilica.

The Story of the Red Basilica

The building went up under Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, when the Roman city spread down toward the plain. It was probably built for the Egyptian gods Serapis, Isis and Harpocrates. The Serapeum, part of the Pergamon World Heritage Site, shows the exchange of ideas between cultures. In the Early Byzantine period, the main hall became a church.

What to See

The front courtyard stands over tunnels that carry the Selinus stream. Two round towers flank the main temple, and courtyards with pools lie on either side. Even from the street, the height of the brick walls shows the scale of the Roman city.

Kızıl Avlu in the Center of Bergama

The building stands in the center of Bergama, where the road to Kınık begins. Its main hall measures about 60 by 26 m (197 by 85 ft), and the Selinus stream still runs beneath it, which led the French traveler Charles Texier to describe it as standing neither on earth nor in heaven. In February 2024, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced landscaping projects around Kızıl Avlu, and the site has been closed to visitors since 24 January 2025 while the work goes on. For now, you see its brick walls from the street.

How to Visit the Red Basilica

The Red Basilica was closed to visitors from 24 January 2025 until landscaping work is finished, with no reopening date, so check before visiting. Combine it with the Asklepion and the acropolis of Pergamon. While the Red Basilica stays closed, we plan your Bergama day around the Asklepion and the acropolis.

Would you like to see the İzmir coast with a private guide and driver? Bergama is also the base of our Pergamon and Asklepion tour, and our İzmir guide covers the rest of the coast.