Berlin: area by area - Museum Island - Pergamonmuseum

The Pergamon Museum houses three collections: the Antiquity Collection, the Museum of the Near East and the Museum of Islamic Art. The museum was built by Alfred Messel and Ludwig Hoffmann between 1912 and 1930 and was specifically designed to hold large architectural displays.
One of the most amazing pieces is the restored Pergamon Altar (c. 160 BC), but equally impressive in the Antiquity Collection are the restored entrance hall of the Nikephoros Athena Temple and the market gate from the Roman town of Miletus, both dating from the 2nd century BC. The Near Eastern Collection is dominated by the magnificent processional way and Ishtar Gate from Babylon, dating from roughly the 6th century BC. The biggest piece in the Islamic Art collection is the portion of the facade of the Mshatta Palace dating from the Omayyad Period (AD 661-750).