Fodor's Expert Review Kızıl Avlu

The Red Basilica is named for the red bricks from which it's constructed. You can't miss it on the road to and from the Acropolis—it's right at the bottom of the hill, in the old part of the city. This was the last pagan temple constructed in Pergamum: when Christianity was declared the state religion in the 4th century, it was converted into a basilica dedicated to St. John. Egyptian deities were worshipped here, and an 27-foot cult statue of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet has recently been reconstructed. The main building—whose walls remain, but not the roof—is fenced off for restoration, but you can still walk around the site and see the "before" and "after" of the work in progress. One of the two towers has also been restored and has some displays inside; the other tower is used as a mosque.