A tunnel underground the famed sanctuary of Asclepius, near modern day Bergama, in ancient times was fully occupied by patients sitting all around it, waiting for their turn to get treated by Asklepiad priest-physicians.
Supporting the medical wards was this tunnel (cryptoporticus), a 70-meter-long underground vaulted passage linking the treatment areas with the sacred spring baths and sleeping/incubation rooms. A small canal circulating the holy water can be seen on the ground. The sound of flowing water within the tunnel and circular treatment structure created a mystical ambience, said to enhance recovery as a recognition of psychological influence in healing.
During the Roman period, the rising number of patients led to the construction of the Circular Treatment Building in the sanctuary’s southeast. This two-story domed structure, lit by a central circular opening, contained vaulted galleries, sun terraces, and fountain niches for specialized therapy, perhaps one of antiquity’s earliest dedicated hospital buildings.
- Photos by Efe Erhan Küsmez and Sena Kelekçi (August 2025)
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Sources
– On-site interpretive panels and museum information displays at the archeological site and Archeological Museum of Bergama.
– Relevant online source Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy