Pergamonmuseum

A very nice museum. However, since reducing in size, it was very crowded inside. Even though it's necessary to book a time slot, it seems that these slots are still very full, so it was a bit overwhelming with how many people were inside at one time. The islamic culture section was really beautiful, and the main halls too of course. I can recommend it for the price and the culture for sure!

One can easily spend more than 2 hours here if interested. The collection is huge and enormous. Definitely one of the largest museums.The audio guide is very well designed. The Mesopotamian, Babylonian and Islamic collections are incredible. 12 euros for direct ticket bought at the museum. Online booking in advance could help.

Not a bad place. Not too big but enough to see. Pictures attached. It has very good disability access and the staff are very friendly. You need to leave your bags in lockers and need a euro or a 2 euro coin, which is returned after you take your stuff back out. Very bright and airy. Great perspective with the life size exhibits. Worth a visit but it isn't free.

A must visit museum in Berlin. Museum has so much collection of historical antique items. Ishtar gate is the main attraction and it's beautiful and huge. Also the Roman market fascade is huge and it's well preserved in museum. Audio guide helps in getting the information easily about all the artifacts. Very much recommended museum in Berlin.

We did no wait because we had purchased the tickets online, but for ticket sale the line was about two hours long(on a Tuesday in the middle of the day). The museum is incredibly constructed and truly remarkable! Very full indeed though. Still, worth a visit while in Berlin.

One of the most interesting museums I have ever been to. Would surely recommend to anyone who likes history. Alot to learn and much beauty to admire. It took us about 3 hours without rushing and we were able to walk through all the exhibits. TIP: Make sure to carry an A4 size bag if you would like to carry some water or any thing else inside with you. There is a coat check area and lockers for bigger bags. You just need 1-2 Euro to access them which you can get back at the end of your tour. Enjoy!

If you haven't seen this museum till now, don't lose the chance to get familiar with the awesome history of great ancient human civilizations, it also can be interesting for kids or teenagers. Apparently it is gradually getting under construction section after another section, unfortunately I missed some important parts due to the reconstruction work, later on I had to check the missing parts on the original video & virtual tour of the museum.

It was amazing museum. I wish we could see the sculptures in origin locations. But the museum is good idea to protect them. My advise that you should take your ticket before the visiting day. Because you couldn’t find any ticket in same day. It takes nearly two hours.

A very nice museum. However, since reducing in size, it was very crowded inside. Even though it's necessary to book a time slot, it seems that these slots are still very full, so it was a bit overwhelming with how many people were inside at one time. The islamic culture section was really beautiful, and the main halls too of course. I can recommend it for the price and the culture for sure!

One can easily spend more than 2 hours here if interested. The collection is huge and enormous. Definitely one of the largest museums.The audio guide is very well designed. The Mesopotamian, Babylonian and Islamic collections are incredible. 12 euros for direct ticket bought at the museum. Online booking in advance could help.

Not a bad place. Not too big but enough to see. Pictures attached. It has very good disability access and the staff are very friendly. You need to leave your bags in lockers and need a euro or a 2 euro coin, which is returned after you take your stuff back out. Very bright and airy. Great perspective with the life size exhibits. Worth a visit but it isn't free.

A must visit museum in Berlin. Museum has so much collection of historical antique items. Ishtar gate is the main attraction and it's beautiful and huge. Also the Roman market fascade is huge and it's well preserved in museum. Audio guide helps in getting the information easily about all the artifacts. Very much recommended museum in Berlin.

We did no wait because we had purchased the tickets online, but for ticket sale the line was about two hours long(on a Tuesday in the middle of the day). The museum is incredibly constructed and truly remarkable! Very full indeed though. Still, worth a visit while in Berlin.

One of the most interesting museums I have ever been to. Would surely recommend to anyone who likes history. Alot to learn and much beauty to admire. It took us about 3 hours without rushing and we were able to walk through all the exhibits. TIP: Make sure to carry an A4 size bag if you would like to carry some water or any thing else inside with you. There is a coat check area and lockers for bigger bags. You just need 1-2 Euro to access them which you can get back at the end of your tour. Enjoy!

If you haven't seen this museum till now, don't lose the chance to get familiar with the awesome history of great ancient human civilizations, it also can be interesting for kids or teenagers. Apparently it is gradually getting under construction section after another section, unfortunately I missed some important parts due to the reconstruction work, later on I had to check the missing parts on the original video & virtual tour of the museum.

It was amazing museum. I wish we could see the sculptures in origin locations. But the museum is good idea to protect them. My advise that you should take your ticket before the visiting day. Because you couldn’t find any ticket in same day. It takes nearly two hours.

My favorite museum on the island. It has the famous gates that are a must see. It sold out for the day and there was a line at opening so get your tickets ahead online and put them in your smartphone wallet. They have a nice cafe with some good cakes and pastries. I recommend packing a picnic since the food options are limited in the area.

Wow, what a stunning museum and way to spend half a day or more! We arrived pretty early and even then it was very busy. Took us 30min or more to get through the lines and security. Once inside we found quite a few exhibits under construction which was disappointing. The ancient architecture, gates, statues, etc were my favorite. I would have loved to stay longer but we were both starving and our eyes were getting tired from reading all the little signs. Would definitely love to stop back in next time I'm in Berlin.

This is the most popular museum on the island, but I was not bowled over considering the wait. BIG HINT reserve your ticket time slot ahead of time. Even if you buy a multi-pass you still have to reserve a time of visit. The big appeal is the Roman entryway/Courtyard and castle facade. Sometimes you have to see for yourself what all the hype is about. One of the wings is closed and some of the Greek sculptures are on display at a separate building.

If you're into ancient history, this is the museum for you! It is coupled with the Museum of Islamic Art and the Middle East Museum, sort of a three for one on the admission. Unfortunately, one of the main attractions, The Pergamon Altar was closed for renovation when I visited, so I guess a return visit is in my future ;)? Anyway, the Gate of Ishtar is another popular attraction here. Technically situated in the Middle East Museum, it did NOT disappoint! I am seriously amazed at the artistry, beauty, and technology of the ancient world. The size of this thing, along with the pure beauty of the sapphire blue tiles and the multicolored mosaics.... The Market Gate of Miletus, while not colorful, like the Gate of Ishtar, is equally stunning, IMO. It is not 100% authentic, dues to earthquakes and weathering in situ, as well as damage sustained during WW2. That being said, to see the details in the carvings of the ceilings, columns, and roof, it is amazing to think of the time and effort that went into carving the original with simple hand tools. In the Museum of Islamic Art, there are many beautiful exhibits, but one of the best has to be the Aleppo Room. It is a room of intricately painted wooden panels dating back to 1600, depicting both Christian and Islamic iconography. While not a grandiose museum, it will take some time to get through it, if you want to look at everything. We did the Pergamon Museum and the Neues Museum in one day, and had plenty of time to see everything in both, with enough time leftover to linger in the gift shop. 20/2022

This is a great museum that you can do in a few hours. The exhibits are incredible and huge.

The Pergamon Museum was a highlight of our 2017 trip. I enjoyed it again this summer. Where else can you walk along the reconstructed walls of a biblical city, and get a sense in real-life of its size, proportion, texture, and color? Our only disappointment is that the years-long renovation of the Pergamon altar still is underway. Maybe next time we can see it.

This museum was an incredibly unique experience. It reminded me a little bit of the British Museum in London, but the middle eastern artifacts are truly astonishing. We went on a Friday afternoon and it was very crowded and hot. My advice would be to go Tuesday - Thursday instead

One hour wait just to go in?!? Forget it. Way more other, better stuff to see and do.

Not sure what the commotion is about this museum. Supposedly this is the must-see museum in Berlin. I could've skipped this and my trip would've still been complete. It was hard to find on the museum island, and then once inside, I didn't see anything that was so amazing like all the reviews claim. Yes, there were nice things, but seeing them on Yelp reviews would have suffice. However, I was tired from walking all over the city. I did not get the audio for the tour as I had had enough history for one day from the tour earlier in the day. I was in and out in 15 min.

If you enjoy seeing Egyptian artifacts, I'd recommend you to visit this museum. During the summer time, when it's super hot in Berlin. This place doesn't have AC, it's a freaking hot nightmare. I guess seeing the old architecture of the building is more interesting than anything else.

Wow.... I enjoyed the Persian and the Roman gates. It gave me the feel that I was actually on-location. Unliked the traditional display cases, this museum let you experience what the Lion gate is actually liked - as if you are there. The Roman plaza / section has the similar feel. This is a must visit museum among all the museums on the island. By the way, this museum has strict crowd control method, in which you are required to visit at a reserved time (determined when I bought the ticket). I got my ticket at around 10 am and my time slot for this museum was 2 pm. It was a wait but worth it. Therefore, plan ahead or arrive early to buy the ticket if you are in a rush.

I would say that this is actually two museums in one, but as it turns out it is located on the Museuminsel, which means that there are quite a few museums on this rather small island. However, this is where the Pergammum Museum, and the museum of the Ancient Near East is located, with one being focused entirely on the excavations at Permamum, which includes the reconstruction of the temple, and the other containing numerous artifacts from Babylon, which includes a reconstruction of the gates. Yeah, this place is pretty impressive.

The Ishtar Gate. WOW. Absolutely incredible. The recreation of the walls leading to the gate with the facades of towers, the miniature display of the city, the reconstructed cuneiform. The map of ancient west Asia with modern cities indicated helps contextualize where civilizations were and where they are now and how that changes over time. The totem of the weather god in the first exhibit hall is both entertaining and chilling. The Roman market gate is also tremendous, and the exhibit hall helps give it context. The only significant disappointment is the museum within the museum - the "Museum of Islamic Art". Vague, disorganized, and lacking meaningful cohesion or interpretation, the "museum" shows some artifacts of historical significance but fails to impress upon the viewer the complex and vast relationships between Islamic cultures that partially stemmed from an empire that lasted about a century over a thousand years ago and which now collectively represent more than a quarter of the world's population. So...that needs work. But this place is still absolutely worth a visit.

Visiting the Pergamon Museum was an emotional experience for my husband and I. Being Assyrian, any last remaining ancient artifacts that we have are either destroyed in the Middle East, held up on the black market, or luckily safe in museums. We were thrilled to see some real and some copies of ancient Assyrian artifacts. They were all beautifully and respectfully represented and accurately described. Thank you Pergamon.

The Pergamon is a must-visit museum in Berlin. I'm not just saying that. Even with a portion of it closed off for ongoing renovations and an expansion, it was an incredible experience to walk through so many relics from ancient civilizations. It's third only to Athens and Rome in my book! The entrance (the Ishtar Gate of Babylon) was a huge highlight for me. So much work has gone into that space and the result is awe-inspiring. You can also walk through other art elements and special rooms. One floor had a whole exhibit focused on photographs of life in Syria before the Civil War, and it was truly moving. I appreciated the ample seating. Restrooms are on the ground floor on the opposite wall from the gift shop. Very clean. I'm sure in years to come, this museum will only become more mesmerizing. One tip: Buy a ticket online in advance. We did not and had to wait in the cold for about half an hour.

I have been to lots of museums in Berlin, this sure is one of the bests so far. Pergamon museum is really huge inside, I think if you really want to check everything out, it would probably need a whole day there for that. I was there for half day at least and yet still got some few places didn't check. The most popular and awesome places are definitely the Ishter gate and the alter. They are simply brilliant! I did enjoy the art works and the histories a lot. Although at the alter some of the objects still missing, it still looks pretty impressive. Personally I also think that the area about Africa's culture at ground floor and the arts of Islam at the second floor, both are very interested. Mschatta-Fassade is also at the second floor. Pity, the museum going to close very soon for renovation and it will take about five years long. The construction works are already started and all around the museum. Better hurry up if you are interested at it. The location of the museum is also really nice. It's in the Museum Island. It's quite easy to find. So when you just in the mood for something indoor or simply the weather is not so great during your trip in Berlin, Pergamon museum sure recommend.

Right now there's a ton on construction and so the main entrance is temporarily relocated on the side by the Neues. Once you walk in, there's a handful of lockers or check in your jacket at wardrobe. I'm glad I did, as the museum is a bit stuffy, and warm. Walk up a flight of stairs (and there's plenty of other stairs), turn right and you're greeted by the Ishtar Gate. Stephen and I were simply amazed at the size and color of the structure. Holy cow.. they took the entire gate and transported it to Berlin?! We spent about 2 hours here, and found it to be sufficient. That's why you should get the Museum Pass. Not only will you by pass the lines, you can hit up the different museums in the surrounding areas which will pay for itself in admission fees.

Very beautiful museum! My family had a great time being in these giant spaces. The Panorama exhibit is also a must see. I would definitely recommend visiting as it's one of a kind and also you don't need the whole day, just a couple of hours to walk through if you are limited in time. Otherwise it's nice to take 3-4 hours reading all the wonderful history.

The Pergamon Museum is one of the world's must-see museums, with impressive architectural set-pieces from the ancient near East. The collection reflects German archaeology in Turkey and former Mesopotamia towards the end of the 19th century. The museum itself was constructed to house these huge remains over 20 years from 1910-30 on Berlin's famous 'Museum Island', but many of the smaller objects were taken after World War II by the Red Army in 1945 to the then USSR. While many of items have been returned, many have not, and the collection lacks much of the depth and certainly the breadth of, say, the British Museum, the Louvre and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This also reflects more limited extent of German colonialism in the 19th century, and the fact that the Greek and Egyptian artefacts are housed separately in the Neues Museum and the Altes Museum, also on the Museum Island. That all said, the set pieces rank among the best in the world. Pride of place goes to the Pergamon temple, built by built during the reign of King Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC, in the Hellenistic Pergamene kingdom in Asia Minor, now in Turkey. The extensive friezes of monumental scultpure are an impressive testament to Greek artistic achievement. The Market Gate of Miletus (also in modern Turkey) is equally impressive, and actually my personal favourite: dating from around 120AD, it is a wonderfully inventive but classical Roman construction, and incredibly well preserved. Perhaps most famous is the Ishtar Gate and the associated processional way from ancient Babylon, constructed in about 575 BC by order of King Nebuchadnezzar II. A vibrant series of tiled relief sculptures depict dragons, lions and oxen in gold against a brilliant blue background, as well as an inscription dedicating its building to Nebuchadnezzar. Elements of this gate are actually in different scattered around the world; the larger Upper Gate is actually too big to display and in storage. Finally, the last set-piece is the Mshatta Facade, the largest Islamic item on display, taken from the 8th century Umayyad residential palace of Qasr Mshatta in Jordan. The collection is also rich in smaller Assyrian, Sumerian and Babylonian sculpted pieces, as well as items from Jordan and Syria. The more modern Islamic Art Museum has items from the various early Islamic kingdoms up until the late 18th century. Practicalities The museum is about 10 minutes' walk from Friedrichstrasse or Hackescher Markt on the city's U-bahn and S-bahn systems. Entry is EUR12 for adults and EUR6 for concessions. There is a separate entrance for those needing level access and there are disabled toilets. The museum has a good shop. In summer the queues can be incredibly long, not helped by having only two cash desks. Arrive either early or late, but avoid the 11-14h slot which seems to be the busiest time, when a wait of up to an hour may be needed. Bags and bulky coats must be left in the free coat check and there are lockers available taking EUR1 coins. Photography is allowed for personal use, though flash is limited in some areas. Interpretation in German and English is available, though limited: the audio guides, on the other hand, provide probably too much information. Which you use is up to you, but my preference is for a good separate guide book. Allow a minimum of two hours to do the collection justice, or four if you are keen.

If you're into ancient history, this is the museum for you! It is coupled with the Museum of Islamic Art and the Middle East Museum, sort of a three for one on the admission. Unfortunately, one of the main attractions, The Pergamon Altar was closed for renovation when I visited, so I guess a return visit is in my future

Okay, I know there's the Smithsonian, but the Pergamon Museum is off the "wall"! The director is truly genuine and all about preservation and not collection! Before entering the space, you witness the idea of placement and space as you pass other buildings on Museum Island. Statues, intricate details from ground up, columns and massive stone, all along wide and welcoming walkways. You can't put your camera away for one second while approaching. Enter the museum and you'll see lockers and ticket area. If you have a backpack, you can pay a small fee (refundable deposit), if your bag is too big. Enter the museum to find the Ishtargate!! Not the whole gate/procession, but a significant portion of it. Beautiful in color, staggering in length, not certain of original height or width, but amazing to gaze upon. The colors and details re-worked by archaeologists and curators is amazing and took over 15 years to get to this point alone! The whole project may be done in 2025, but what is present in the rooms is absolutely amazing! There's a computer program to show what it will look like when complete. If you visit Berlin, "don't pass go" until you visit the Pergamon and other museums on the island.

We visited towards the end of June 2017. If you only have time for one museum to visit on Museum Island, I would highly recommend visiting the Pergamon Museum. The museum houses huge reconstructions of some monumental buildings such as the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and of course the Pergamon Alter. Unfortunately, Pergamon Alter exhibit was closed for renovation when I was there. Still, you could easily spend hours walking through this museum. The Ishtar Gate of Babylon is the first thing you see when you walk in and it is massive! Very awe-inspiring and it gives you a good idea of the sheer scale of some of these buildings. Easy to follow layout. Exhibits are thoughtfully arranged. Free rental of headsets in your native language to guide you through all the pieces. Plan to spend about 2-3 hours here. P.S. Don't bring water bottles! Even if they are empty, they will make you either coat check them or trash them.

As a lazy anthropology student, I seldom took more interest in archaeology than was strictly necessary to pass... I'd never really known where to start the study of great ancient cultures... The Babylonian and Assyrian exhibitions were a great way to delve into it and appreciate the complexity without getting lost in the sheer vastness of it. The audiobook was very informative. Amazing. The exhibition on Islam was very informative. The map guide that explains how empires rose and fell - from east to west, and how trading routes and events interacted / affected one another was a very good introduction to a part of history that has been muted by colonialism. I learned a lot and was very impressed with how well preserved the artefacts, and how beautiful some of the exhibition pieces were.

Despite how controversial some of the pieces in the collection are, this place is pretty astounding. Set aside a few hours to explore and appreciate everything. Besides the larger, more obviously jaw-dropping pieces, I really loved what was in the Museum of Islamic Art. The ancient Qur'ans were fascinating to see. Asking for a guided audio tour was a breeze and they give you a pair of headphones and a cell phone looking device you can hang around your neck as you walk around. It was easy to use and provided great information. This was useful since most of the museum display labels/descriptions are in German. I was in a group of 6 but the audio tour allowed us to experience the museum at our own pace. This is a must-see in Berlin but probably not a place to go to more than once unless they have a new collection. When I visit again, I'll probably use my time to explore the other museums instead.

This museum is about as good as it gets as far as an ancient history museum is concerned. When you walk in you blasted with huge pillars and ornate carvings of the gods doing battle. As you progress throughout this HUGE museum you see carvings, statues spanning multiple ages, cultures and regions. The audio companion and half a day is a must to fully experience this place. Best part is, it's part of the museum package, so if you are planning on seeing a bunch of places it is a great value. In my opinion it's hands down the best museum on 'museum island'.

The Pergamonmuseum displays pieces of Islamic, Middle Eastern and Antiquity artwork. It houses something that everybody should see before they die - an ancient gate of Babylon (Ishtar Gate)! Taking in the walls covered with bright and vivid colored mosaics brought me back to another era, and sent shivers down my spine. The Pergamon does a great job of allowing visitors to feel what it must have been like to be alive in Babylon and walk through this gate. Although usually bias and exhibiting complete favoritism for Roman antiquities, this blue and yellow piece of history stole my heart and i can truly state that it is my favorite piece of work throughout all of Museum Island! Outside of the gorgeous and larger than life Ishtar, the museum also houses the Pergamon Altar. The Altar is this massive construction that was built in the 2nd Century BC. On top of carved sculptures and scenes of Greek Gods stands tall multiple columns and a grand portico. In the middle of the altar is a large stairway; get a picture of yourself with a view from the bottom as you stand atop the Altar! Also, take your time walking around the altar to admire all of the many ancient sculptures-the scenes are spectacular. Not as colorful as the Ishtar Gate, but nevertheless, just as historical and monumental is the Market Gate of Miletus. This two story marble gate from the Roman period (2nd century AD) was most likely built under Emperor Hadrian as an entrance to an ancient city in Turkey. Its very large and just another really cool, must-see when visiting this museum. Lastly, i would also push a visit to the Aleppo room, which is covered by beautiful and incredibly intricate Islamic painted patterns. Dating back to the Ottoman Empire, this is the oldest art collection from a Syrian household during the time period. The woodwork and patterns are simply gorgeous as they are accented with metal plating's that have this kind of popping effect of images from the walls. Although, it is a bit hard to see close up as it is enclosed by glass.

The Pergamon was an incredible old structure. I especially enjoyed the wall sculptures depicting the war between the Gods and the Titans. The vibrant blue of the Babylon gates was wonderful. I didn't spend much time in there as there isn't much other than those sights, unless you like the upstairs Middle Eastern themed art. I recommend getting a museum pass for the entire island and have a speedy entrance. Otherwise, I saw dozens and dozens of tourists lined up waiting for online, which could've taken a while.

Very interesting museum in Berlin, located on Museum Island. This is highly rated, and for good reason. It's one of the museums where you can walk in, and see arches and actual parts of ancient civilizations... and temporarily be transported to back in the day. It's really amazing how they fit these ancient structures and incorporated them within the museum building. Currently, there is construction going on in the museum to expand... so some of the exhibits are closed. This museum is highly worth it, especially if you have a student id or you purchase one of those multi museum hopping passes. The other museums are just a few feet away, so I highly recommend doing that!

Excellent museum with a huge variety of different ancient cultures' excavated constructions, art, personal items and more. The exhibition is separated well into rooms of different cultures and dynasties, so you're getting the feeling of the time and place by just looking around. For the ticket price we got an audio guide, and free keeping at the cloak room for all our bags and coats. Few tips: if you're a student, the discount is significant so be sure to mention that. Tip: the size of their lockers is not that big so take that into account if you're coming directly there after a long journey to Berlin (flight/train).

Terrific museum, some impressive works, i enjoy hanging out at museums so loved it here. Be warned there can be huge lineups here, so best go for timed entry by booking ahead.

This is one of the most fantastic museums in the planet. There are three main attractions that literally have the gates of Babylon. The Pergamon alter / temple is under reconstruction unfortunately.

Loved this museum with the big Roman gates and the huge processional gates. Really makes you feel like you're back in Roman times. It's not a huge museum but make sure to get here early to avoid the lines. Worth it if you buy the 18€ museum pass.

Although this is the most highly rated Berlin museum on Tripadvisor we were pretty disappointed from what we remembered about 15 years ago. Part of this is because the museum is undergoing a renovation and therefore has a large wing closed. But its more than this - the presentation is not nearly as interesting as some of the other museums of antiquities in Berlin. Additionally, the 2nd floor, which is devoted exclusively to Islamic art gets rather boring after a while. But this might be possibly due to the nature of Islamic art- repetition of the same patterns and colors over and over again... I would say that at this point, it is not worth waiting in any kind of line for the Pergamon. Luckily, we walked right in. In contrast, a really fabulous museum in Berlin is the Neues Museum, just steps away from the Pergamon.

A lot of cool old stuff but the staff kinda sucks. I showed my student ID to get the student discount and they didn't honor it. Note to other students: you need your class schedule or they won't honor the discount. I was really looking forward to visiting this museum and one person ruined my entire visit.

Beware that you won't receive the student discount unless your student ID has an expiration date! The ID's issued by my university don't have one and, because of that, they refused to allow entry for €6 and instead charged us regular admission for €12. The museum felt overpriced as several items within its collection are replicas (the originals are in the British Museum, which is free for all) and there was extensive construction that closed off some parts of the building. However, the Ishtar gates and the Miletus gates were amazing to view and the best part of the museum. Unless you're truly fascinated by Middle Eastern or Greek culture and structures, I'm not sure that this would be worth a long wait in line.

One of those amazing cultural places that had been on my wish list since I was a teenager. If you are here, checking out Pergamon reviews, that means you are somewhat interested in art. My good guess is that you will leave astounded! Even if you don't care about any of that[- come anyways. It is very entertaining. Here you will find some of the most important buildings from the biggest civilisations from the ancient world completely rebuilt or reconstructed. I don't want to give out more information, because maybe like me, you like to be surprised. The museum is open 7 days a week, which is great. I happened to come here on a Sunday and my advice to you will be to get there early, just before the opening or around that time. That's what I did and I still had to wait a good 30-40 minutes in line to get the tickets. Just after me they closed the door, before there was room to let more people in. When I was walking out, the line outside grew to over 200 feet long (no kidding). Included in the price of the ticket is the cloakroom downstairs as well as an audio set with headphones. They offer many languages and I picked my native Polish as a guide. That was great to walk around and hear a detailed description of the exhibition and how some of the pieces were put together. Next time I am in Berlin, I am in Pergamonmuseum again too.

I saw this museum listed as the number one attraction in a Lonely Planet guide book, and I honestly have no idea what they were thinking. If you're a tourist trying to cram as much into your trip as possible, skip this. We waited in line for about 30 minutes, it was hot, we were tired...but heard it was great, so in we went. It's interesting, but only if you're super into Mesopotamian and Sumerian (etc) history. If not, meh. The audio guide is helpful but way too wordy and way too long for each room. You'll get bored of what you're looking at way before the lady is done rambling on. It's two stories of rocks and little trinkets. Oh, and most of it is plaster reproductions, so don't get too excited.

The Pergamon is an ambitious museum to say the least. The fact that they managed to convince the Turkish government to let them export an entire monument, let alone transport and rebuild it, is an impressive feat. That they went ahead and did this several more times with structures, columns and walls from interconnected civilizations around the world is nothing short of amazing. As such, the contents within should be more than enough to delight any museum-phlies visiting for the first time.

The Pergamon is a really interesting museum, heavy on European and middle eastern exhibits. Although many of the most popular exhibits are closed right now (Feb. 2016) for massive remodeling project that will be ongoing for the next few years, there was still plenty to see. We spent about a half day here, moving through the museum at a leisurely pace. One important tip: There can sometimes be very long lines just to get in - but if you purchase tickets online (same price as at the door) then you can set an entry time and walk right up. That's really nice when you're trying to plan your day/timing. Also, the other museums just near the pergamon are super cool to look at from the outside - without even spending any money to get in. Plan a little bit of time to walk all around 'museum island' to see all the cool buildings, and the Berlin Cathedral less than a block away.

I won't even begin to try to write this review in German, but I wish I still could. In any case, there used to be a server named Ann at the restaurant where I worked when I was in high school. (Actually, there was an Ann and an Anne. I'm referring to Ann.) She was a little bit older than me, but when I think back about it, she was probably eighteen while I was sixteen-and-a-half, but you know how big age differences seem when you're young. Or maybe you don't. Anyway, I always had a pseudo-crush on Ann, but that was all right because she had this really mature, cool-seeming boyfriend who was in college, if I remember correctly. When you're sixteen and don't have much experience with girls and are basically the youngest person working in a hyper-drama-filled place of employment, you tend to like and get along with the already-taken girls because they're nice and safe. To make this story stranger, I'll add that I was part of a German exchange program in high school. First, the Germans came to California in the winter and/or spring of 1994, and then we returned the favor that summer. It was an exhausting, strange, fun, and overwhelming experience. It gave me plenty of material for my writing for years to come, and it taught me a lot about how little I knew about myself. That was all right. One of the museums we visited in Berlin was the Pergamon Museum, and this is where Ann comes in. Or where she will come in. Or where she would have come in if I had set this story up appropriately. Most of the other Americans were sick of museums at this point, so they just wanted to do the quick walk through. Some of the Germans were more interested (they were from Hamburg, not Berlin), but I wasn't about to tag along with a group of people speaking too fast for me. So I rented one of those audio-tour things in English and began. The tour itself started well. It went a little bit slowly, but that's all right because I tend to linger a lot in museums. But then one of the Germans asked me a question, and I didn't pause the tape at the right point, and when I started listening again, I had missed a direction. But I didn't know I had missed a direction. I eventually realized a while later that I was in the completely wrong room and hadn't even been looking at what I was supposed to be looking at. I tried rewinding a little bit but then just gave up and found some of my friends at the Pergamon Altar, which is breathtaking. I thought at the time it was weird that pieces of this thing hadn't been returned to the country of origin. But I also know it was a sort of reconstruction, and then I started to think about how they would possibly be able to disassemble something this large. It's really massive, and the museum gets an entire extra star for the troubling presence of the altar. What about Ann? Well, while attending an all-staff meeting at work later that summer, I saw her for the first time in maybe five months. She looked more mature for some reason, and I wasn't sure whether she would remember all the joking around we had done the summer before. She came right up to me, gave me a hug, and told me she had missed me. I kind of just stood there, and when she asked me where I'd been all summer, I told her about Germany. I didn't mention the Pergamon Museum or even that we had visited Berlin, but she instantly said that she had been to Germany as well and had seen this amazing museum with a gigantic altar reconstructed right in the building. I told her I had seen it, and then she said she had gotten lost while listening to the audio tour. If I had been savvier, I would have continued exchanging pleasantries until the meeting began, and then afterward, I would have talked to her more. Then I would have called her the next day and set up some kind of time to meet. But I was still a shy seventeen-year-old, so I just stood there, and she said it was good to see me, gave me another big hug, and sat down with her friends. After the meeting, her boyfriend picked her up in his souped-up Honda Civic, and I was a little bit sad for the rest of the summer. I don't know whether I ever worked a shift with her again.

UNESCO World Heritage Site. An entire island of museums. This one: Pretty awesome. A building designed to hold and display chunks of other buildings. Yep. Win. Reconstructed Roman market gate? Check. A chunk of a palace from Assyria? Check. Amazing prayer niches from various Islamic lands? Check. Reconstructed Greek temple and altar bits? Check. Reconstructed gates of BABYLON? Oh yes, Check MATE. Plus a lot fo galleries with smaller bits and pieces of ancient civilizations. I admit I was pretty tired that day and after a while my brain gave up trying to process it all. Go fresh and full of empty brain space. Bonus: Easy to access bathrooms and no one standing there weaseling 50 cents out of you to pee. Epic win IMO. Plus: A damned cool gift shop in the courtyard.

We tried to book our tickets online, but after the first page all the pages are solely in German so it was too daunting for us to figure it all out. As it turns out, that worked in our favor as we planned to visit on our first day in Berlin, but our flight missed a connection and we never even made it to town that day. So after our walking tour of Berlin, we made our way over to Museum Island. On Saturdays and Sundays there is an amazing flea market in and around the Bode Museum that you really should make the effort to see. Lots of books, steins, antiques, and in another section lots of new, artistic items (paintings, clothing/scarves, and crazy things like intense close up photos of your iris done as you wait!) When we finally located the Pergamon, there was definitely a line. Fortunately most of it was under a roof, so you won't be standing in the blazing sun (or in our case a light drizzle). They let like 20-25 people in at once, and wait until they all process their tickets, then let another group in. We waited about 30 minutes before we made it in (we got in line about 2pm). My children are in college, and so we tried to get the student discounted rate - you must present a student ID for that to work (although when my son handed the clerk his Penn State ID you could tell she had no idea what he was giving her). The audio guide is free with admission, and truly worth it. You walk up to an exhibit and punch in the number of the exhibit and it starts to play. It really helps you to appreciate what you are looking at. One note - we were wearing windbreakers because it had been rainy, and my son got hot and took his off when he was walking around. The guards stopped him and said either he had to wear it or take it back to the entrance to check it in at the coat check. So keep that in mind. Lots of places to sit in this museum, which after a long day of walking was truly appreciated. Definitely check this out!

OMG IS THAT A GIANT TEMPLE INSIDE A BUILDING? Why yes, yes it is. OMG IS THAT THE BABYLON GATE? Well its the smallest one. But look! It has ancient graffiti on one side! Cool! If you enjoy the classical era, this museum is for you. It houses some of the most impressive restorations in the world. I feel like I could sit on the steps of the Ishtar Tor, read and sip a latte. The presentation envelops you. Although controversial in the art world, I am glad Berlin has these collections. Check out the guided audio tour. It's worth listening into that giant cell phone, you'll learn a lot too. :-)

The Altar is inaccessible. Pity. And Mondays are a bit tricky, only two of the island museums are open.

The Pergamonmuseum is definitely worth visiting once, but perhaps not more than once because I was a bit bored the second time around. The special exhibits were interesting though. The museum's layout is a bit confusing though and none of the major signs are in English and the people who sell you the tickets don't speak English either so keep that in mind. We were very unsure as to which tickets to get although I think we ultimately made the right decision, but it was honestly by guess work.

Rather boring museum houses grand structures from Greece, Egypt and the Middle East. You'll also see paintings, artifacts and sculptures. Like me, if this is not your thing, it is quite a bore. Luckily, it's not that large so not too much time is needed. I found the €12 entrance fee a bit much but you may enjoy it.

I lived in Berlin for months, and this was by far my favorite thing I did while there. The processional gate into Baylon, the market gate and of course the Pergamon Altar were just breathtaking. The audio guides (in tons of languages) are included in the price of admission, and you get to set the pace of your tour by choosing the number of the thing you're looking at. I think you could spend an entire day standing small next to so many large and life altering artifacts. You learn so much about history and incredible civilizations that came before us. A must see.

Several of these exhibits would be worth the cost of admission by themselves. The structures are awe inspiring. Not necessarily a piece of German history, but a wonderful museum. Buy tickets online to avoid the queue. There is a shipping container that claims to have museum island tickets, but then the window says, "no Pergamon museum tickets". This threw me off, and then the person working the ticket booth was a rude and unhelpful.

This place has huge sections of historic buildings and the walls. Definitely a must see. I spent about 2-3 hours looking at the whole museum. The tickets were about 12 euro. They also gave me a free headset to listen to the audio tour. You have to give it back before you leave.