Markttor von Milet

The Market Gate of Miletus is a monumental Roman facade from the second century A.D. that originally stood in the Anatolian city of Miletus. Now displayed in Berlin's Pergamon Museum, the facade impresses with its lavish architecture, which masterfully combines Greek and Roman design elements. The structure is divided into a large central archway flanked by two smaller side passages, while three arched niches on the upper level once held statues. At nearly 17 meters (56 feet) high and almost 29 meters (95 feet) wide, the gate once dominated the ensemble of the southern marketplace, which also included a gymnasium, a town hall, and a nymphaeum. In everyday life, the base also served as a sales area for merchants, as inscriptions on the back confirm.

Today the gate's construction is generally dated to around the year 100, possibly in connection with imperial visits or local patrons. Marble from the region around Heraclea was used for the building, supplemented by concrete, plaster, and brick. The structure was originally painted in color, as finds of pigments show. Over the centuries, the gate had to be reinforced and renovated several times, including in the sixth century, when it was incorporated into a later city wall to defend against Arab attacks. In the Middle Ages, it was probably destroyed by an earthquake.

After German archaeologists discovered it at the beginning of the 20th century, the gate was transported to Berlin and reconstructed in the 1920s. Despite severe war damage and later restoration work that in part used problematic materials, the facade is once again in good condition today. A comprehensive restoration between 2007 and 2008 secured the historic structure on the basis of modern research findings and made it accessible to visitors in the museum.