Perga was an old city even in the first century. Its name (which is not Greek) indicates that its origin dates from pre-Greek times. Alexander the Great passed through it twice while the Pergaeans offered no resistance to him although it was a walled city with a citadel. In Roman times the main streets were over twenty-one meters wide. They were lined with Ionic colonnades and a water channel ran down their center in a series of small waterfalls as in Antalya today. Behind the colonnades stood the shops. Of the early buildings the stadium and the theater have survived the ravages of earthquakes and wars with the least damage. In fact this stadium which could seat about fourteen thousand people is one of the best preserved in Turkey.
The temple of the Pergaean Artemis according to a writer of the time was “a marvel of size, beauty, and workmanship.” Its location has yet to be established; it may have been where there are now ruins of a Byzantine church on a hill to the southeast of the city.
Perga is on a rise not far from the Cestrus River which was navigable In Paul’s time. It was not a seaport in terms of Its being directly on the Mediterranean even then, but rather it was more easily defended where it was: its distance from the open sea made it less vulnerable to piracy.
Two people stand out among the early residents of Perga. Apollonius was a third century B.C. astronomer and mathematician who believed that the movements of heavenly bodies in the universe were explainable by orbits within orbits: that the moon went around the earth as the earth went around the sun. He was much ahead of his time in his theories of astronomy, so much so that the ideas had to be rediscovered during the Renaissance. Plancia Magna was unusual for a second century A.D. woman: she held the highest city office during her life, that of demiurgus. She must have been well-to-do for a number of inscriptions record her gifts to the city.
Paul and Barnabas went through Perga on their way to and from Antioch on their first journey (Acts 13:13, 14:25). John Mark was with them at first but left them at Perga to return to Jerusalem. The reason for that must have been such that Paul doubted his commitment to the cause. Later when Paul and Barnabas were about to start on their second journey from Antioch they had a sharp dispute over his worthiness. Paul refused to have him go along, so John and Barnabas went to Cyprus while Paul chose Silas to accompany him.
Paul talks in II Corinthians 12:7 and in Galatians 4:13-14 of bodily illness that brought him to Galatia the first time. It may have been on that account that he did not stay long in Perga the first time. Whatever the illness was, it seems to have improved in time in the dry mountain air to the north.
The second theory of why they did not stay long in Perga is that their interview with Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus, had made them want to hurry to the Roman colony in Antioch of Pisidia. This interpretation may lay too much stress on the lasting importance of that meeting with a cultured Roman who could have been more interested in the pursuits of the mind than the salvation, in Christian terms, of his soul. It is interesting, however, that this is” the point in Acts (13:9) that Luke begins to call Paul by his Roman name, not his Jewish “Saul”.
On their return they did stay in Perga long enough to preach and talk with people there. Nothing else is told about the city or their time there.
Pillars of the Agora
Palaestra in front of the Roman baths
Perga Nymphaeum
Perga,
From the many granite columns that are left standing today, one can easily imagine what a magnificent city Perge once used to be. One can still see the theatre, stadium and gate towers leading to a very long street where a statue of a water god can be seen at the end. Ancient chariot ruts can still be seen on…
Another great place to wander & explore. Truly amazing place, the Romans & Greeks were so clever, just marvel at all that has been excavated. So many columns, walls, pillars, and still alot of work left to do. We enjoyed it so much.
I must agree with many other reviewers that this would be a better site if there was more information. However even without a guide this is a very impressive and very large collection of ruins, essentially an entire town, which was reportedly one of the most beautiful cities of the Hellenistic era ca. 300 BC, but was also occupied by…
Perge is one of the largest area of ancient ruins in Antalya and a must visit if you're interested in Roman architecture/urban planning. Standing on the main street in the ancient city is impressive – you can just imagine the shops, public area, and people still bustling with activity. To get the most out of the experience, I recommend a…
Wonderfull historic site, don't forget to visit the Antalya museum to complete this experience.
Wear good shoes for this visit.
We travelled by ourselves to this, the size of the ruins is immense. Think we would have got more out of the trip with a guide, but even so it was well worth the visit.
Just a fantastic site now being restored. Best with a guide who can explain the history. Our Antalya man Hakan of Eros Travel, who arranges our holiday provided an excellent guide who spoke perfect English and showed us the various features of this largely Roman site.
Would love to rteturn and spend a whole day there. An interesting and memorable visit
Well worth the visit to see such incredible ruins. Perge is definitely a little off the beaten path but once we got there it was worth the trip.
Liked – Lots to see, cheap, and easy to get to from Antalya. Great views from the athletics stadium.
Disliked – The ampitheatre is still being excavated and the entry to the athletics stadium is hidden under the arches