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The reconstructed Market Gate from Miletus in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.

The Market Gate from Miletus in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin

The Market Gate of Miletus is one of the most well known pieces of Roman architecture. The large marble monument is now housed in the Pergamon Museum on Museumsinsel in Berlin, Germany. The marble gate was built in the town of Miletus in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. After various stages of restoration and renovation, the structure was ultimately destroyed during an earthquake sometime at the beginning of the second millennium. In 1903 it was excavated by a German team of archaeologists and take to Berlin, where in the 1920s it was reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum. Following severe destruction during World War II it underwent lengthy periods of restoration and finally reopened to the public in November 2008.

The reconstructed Market Gate from Miletus in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.
The reconstructed market gate from Roman Miletus in present-day Turkey, reconstructed with some 60% of the original stonework.
A close up pf the two statues, a general and a naked hero, on the façade of the Market Gate of Miletus.
Fragments of two large statues have survived. On the left is a cuirassed general with a vanquished barbarian at his feet. On the right is a naked hero holding a cornucopia. Some believe that these two statues depict a Roman emperor, either Trajan or Hadrian.

A History of the Miletus Market Gate

A model of Miletus to show the position of the market gate.
A model of Miletus showing the position of the gate as the entrance to a market square.

360° View of the Miletus Market Gate & the Roman Architecture Gallery

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Orpheus Mosaic from Miletus

The complete Orpheus mosaic in front of the market gate.
The Orpheus mosaic in front of the Miletus market gate.
A close up showing the entire Orpheus mosaic.
The complete Orpheus mosaic.
A close up of the central part of the mosaic showing Orpheus, with the raven and fox looking up at him.
Orpheus at the centre of the mosaic floor depicted with his lyre.

Roman Architecture Gallery

The portico from the Trajaneum at Pergamon, and part of the circular funerary monument to a goddess from Falerii.
The portico from the Trajaneum at Pergamon with the semi-circular funerary monument from ancient Falerii.
Busts from what would have been colossal statues of emperors Hadrian and Trajan.
The heads from colossal statues of emperors Hadrian and Trajan from the Trajaneum in Pergamon.
A relief showing a cult statue of Apollo - he stands on a plinth.
A relief depicting a cult statue of Apollo stanidng ebtween two torchbearers. The relief was found on the rear façade of the theatre at Miletus.
A Greek inscription from the Justinian age on a door lintel found at the Market Gate.
A door lintel from the Byzantine wall at Miletus bearing an inscription in Greek written during the reign of Emperor Justinian in about 538 AD.

Miletus Today

An aerial view of the archaeological site of Miletus.
The archaeological site of Miletus, in Turkey, is vast but dominated by the well preserved Roman theatre.

Add Pergamon Museum to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists

Pergamon Museum, Museumsinsel

The last of the five museums built on Museumsinsel, The Pergamon Museum was built to house the Pergamon Altar. Other highlights include the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus. The museum also displays objects from the Collection of Classical Antiquities, the Museum of the Ancient Near East, and the Museum of Islamic Art. Currently being refurbished to add a fourth wing, the museum is closed until at least 2027.

Archaeology Travel Writer

Thomas Dowson

With a professional background in archaeology and a passion for travel, I founded Archaeology Travel to help more people explore our world’s fascinating pasts. Born in Zambia, I trained as an archaeologist at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and taught archaeology at the universities of Southampton and Manchester (England). Read More

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