Editing Pergamon (section)

==Location==
[[File:Bergama - AKRAPOL - panoramio (4).jpg|thumb|left|Ruins of the ancient city of Pergamon]]
Pergamon lies on the north edge of the Caicus plain in the historic region of [[Mysia]] in the northwest of Turkey. The Caicus river breaks through the surrounding mountains and hills at this point and flows in a wide arc to the southwest. At the foot of the mountain range to the north, between the rivers Selinus and Cetius, there is the massif of Pergamon which rises {{convert|335|metres}} above sea level. The site is only 26&nbsp;km from the sea, but the Caicus plain is not open to the sea, since the way is blocked by the Karadağ massif. As a result, the area has a strongly inland character. In Hellenistic times, the town of [[Elaea (Aeolis)|Elaia]] at the mouth of the Caicus served as the port of Pergamon. The climate is Mediterranean with a dry period from May to August, as is common along the west coast of Asia Minor.<ref>''Altertümer von Pergamon''. 1.1, pp. 47–50.</ref>

The Caicus valley is mostly composed of volcanic rock, particularly andesite, and the Pergamon massif is also an intrusive [[Stock (geology)|stock]] of andesite. The massif is about one kilometre wide and around 5.5&nbsp;km long from north to south. It consists of a broad, elongated base and a relatively small peak - the upper city. The side facing the Cetius river is a sharp cliff, while the side facing the Selinus is a little rough. On the north side, the rock forms a {{convert|70|m}} wide spur of rock. To the southeast of this spur, which is known as the 'Garden of the Queen', the massif reaches its greatest height and breaks off suddenly immediately to the east. The upper city extends for another {{convert|250|m}} to the south, but it remains very narrow, with a width of only {{convert|150|m}}. At its south end the massif falls gradually to the east and south, widening to around {{convert|350|m}} and then descends to the plain towards the southwest.<ref>''Altertümer von Pergamon''. 1.2, pp. 148–152.</ref>