Permanent exhibition
Pergamonmuseum
The Vorderasiatische Museum (Museum of the Ancient Near East) ranks alongside the Louvre and the British Museum as one of the world's leading museums of ancient treasures of the Near East. Shown in an area covering 2,000 square metres the exhibits convey an impression of six thousand years of history, culture and art in the ancient Near East.
Fourteen rooms are devoted to this collection in the southern wing of the Pergamonmuseum. The collection contains many important examples of architecture, reliefs and smaller objects. Some are of great world significance and were once excavated by German archaeologists. They originate from the Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian and northern Syrian/eastern Anatolian regions which today include Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
One of the major attractions lies along the main axis of this section of the museum. Here visitors can walk through and wonder at the world-famous reconstructions of brilliantly coloured Babylonian monuments: the Processional Way, the Ishtar Gate and the facade of the throne hall of King Nebuchadnezzar II (604 - 562 BC). Sections of the buildings were re-created to approximately the original dimensions by meticulously re-assembling the many broken pieces of excavated glazed bricks. Along the walls depictions of lions, bulls and dragons symbolize the major gods of Babylon.
The main attractions in the Babylonian Hall include the model of the Tower of Babel which was dedicated to Marduk, the chief god of the city, and a copy of the famous stela bearing the laws of King Hammurapi.
A permanent exhibition of the Vorderasiatisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.
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Venue
Address / Getting there
Visitor entrance
James-Simon-Galerie, Bodestraße
10178 Berlin
partially wheelchair accessible
Please note: Pergamonmuseum is exclusively entered through James-Simon-Galerie!
Site plan: Entrance to the Pergamonmuseum and Neues Museum (PDF)
All groups meet at the information desk at the upper foyer in James-Simon-Galerie, entering by using the big stairway.
Advice for group visits to the Pergamonmuseum an the Neues Museum (PDF)
Due to a technical issue, the lift is out of service until further notice, meaning the Museum für Islamische Kunst is not currently wheelchair accessible. The major architectural exhibits – such as the Processional Way, featuring the Ishtar Gate and the Market Gate of Miletus – are still accessible to people with mobility issues.
U-Bahn: Friedrichstraße
S-Bahn: Friedrichstraße, Hackescher Markt
Tram: Am Kupfergraben, Hackescher Markt
Bus: Staatsoper, Lustgarten, Friedrichstraße
Low-carbon public transport connections
Local traffic
Long distance
Opening times
Sun 10:00 - 18:00
Mon closed
Tue 10:00 - 18:00
Wed 10:00 - 18:00
Thu 10:00 - 20:00
Fri 10:00 - 18:00
Sat 10:00 - 18:00
Opening times on public holidays Opening hours
Access via James-Simon-Galerie
Due to a special event, the museum will be closed all day on 3 May 2023.
Extended opening hours from 1 July 1 2023: Tue, Wed, Fri–Sun and public holidays 9 am - 7 pm; Thu 9 am - 8 pm
Prices / Tickets
Pergamon museum
12,00 EUR Concessions 6,00
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Museum Island + Panorama
19,00 EUR Concessions 9,50
all exhibitions
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Annual Ticket from 25,00 EUR
Vorderasiatisches Museum
Pergamonmuseum