What is an Asklepion? How sleep, water, theatre and music were linked with healing in ancient Pergamon, and how these stories differ from today's science.
Most people who set off north from İzmir and arrive in Bergama (ancient Pergamon) head first for the steep slope of the Acropolis and then for the colonnaded road on the plain. At the end of that road, wandering among the ruins, you hear a sentence guides often repeat: "This was the hospital of the ancient world." So what is an Asklepion, what really happened here, and what did elements such as sleep, water, theatre and music have to do with healing? In this article, for readers who are about to visit the Asklepion of Pergamon or who are curious about ancient healing centres, we look both at what is told and at how much of it can be verified. Along the way, we also look at how these old ideas echo in today's understanding of mental health, and where they part ways with it.
What Is an Asklepion? The Idea of an Ancient Healing Centre
An Asklepion is the name given to the sanctuaries built in the ancient Greek and Roman world in honour of Asklepios, known as the god of medicine. These sites were thought of both as temples and as places people came to in the hope of getting well. Such centres are known to have existed in various cities of the ancient world; one of the most famous examples in Anatolia is in Pergamon.
The short answer to the question "what is an Asklepion?" is this: a centre where religion, medicine and everyday life were intertwined, and where the sick stayed for a time, waiting to recover. There was no hospital organisation, record-keeping system or scientific treatment in today's sense. But there was an idea: a person's recovery is not only about an intervention on the body, but also about where they stay, how they rest, what they believe and what surrounds them.
This idea feels both familiar and foreign to us today. Familiar, because we know that sleep, a calm environment and social connection matter for mental health. Foreign, because in the ancient world healing was largely explained as divine intervention; today, by contrast, we try to test through research what helps whom, and to what extent.
The Asklepion of Pergamon: Stories of Sleep, Water, Theatre and Music
In Turkey's tourism promotion, the Asklepion of Pergamon is described as an ancient healing centre where sleep and dreams, water, theatre and music were used together. This general framework is used to convey the spirit of the place to visitors. But an important note is needed here: the details of how, how often and for which patients these elements were used could not be verified in the source review behind this article. So it is more accurate to read the points below as "this is how it is told".
- Sleep and dreams: It is said that patients slept in the sanctuary and that their dreams were interpreted as signs about their recovery.
- Water: Water is reported to have been associated with purification and refreshment, with visitors coming into contact with it.
- Theatre: The presence of a theatre on the site gives rise to the idea that the performing arts were part of this experience.
- Music: Music is said to have featured in this setting as a soothing element.
When these four elements come together, a holistic picture emerges: a person steps away from the noise of daily life, rests, cools off with water, watches a play, listens to music and waits to get better. This picture is appealing; but within history it is not always easy to separate what was really done from what was romanticised later.
The musical element attracts particular interest, because the place of music in mental health is still debated today. Music therapy today is defined as an approach in which a trained practitioner engages in musical interaction with a person within a therapeutic framework; simply listening to recorded music does not fall within this definition. According to a Cochrane review, music therapy added to usual treatment may reduce symptoms of depression in the short term; however, the evidence has been rated as being of low to moderate certainty. So one can draw a parallel between music being played at an ancient site and music being studied today as a supportive element; but the two are not the same thing.
Something similar can be said about water. The sound of running water, a cool fountain or a walk by the sea feels restful to many people; we know this from everyday experience. But turning this pleasant experience into claims about "the healing power of water" goes beyond what we actually know.
Dreams and Sleep: Ancient Belief and Present-Day Knowledge
The most intriguing part of the Asklepion stories is the dreams. In the ancient world, dreams were believed to be a way of communicating with the gods. It was thought that the dream a patient had while sleeping in the sanctuary showed what needed to be done for them to recover.
Today we see dreams very differently. There is no scientific basis for the idea that dreams foretell the future or prescribe treatment. However, we now understand far better the place of sleep in mental health. Insufficient or broken sleep can have a negative effect on mood, attention, emotion regulation and the capacity to cope with stress. Sleep problems are common in conditions such as depression and anxiety, and improving sleep often contributes to overall wellbeing.
So although the "sleep and healing" connection at the Asklepion was explained through ancient belief, it takes on meaning today by another route: rest and good sleep are not healing in themselves, but they are an important foundation for it. For current advice on sleep, you can read our article on how to overcome insomnia.
A word of caution should be added here. Claims such as "healing through dream interpretation" circulate on social media from time to time. In therapy, dreams can sometimes be a starting point for talking about a person's feelings; but on their own they are neither a diagnostic nor a treatment tool.
Theatre and Catharsis: A Trace from the Asklepion to Drama Therapy
The theatre at the Asklepion of Pergamon is one of the spots visitors photograph most. What might a theatre be doing in a healing centre? The answer has to be sought in how the ancient world viewed the performing arts.
In the Poetics, Aristotle writes that tragedy brings about a kind of purification in the audience by arousing pity and fear. This concept is known as "catharsis" and has been interpreted in many different ways over the following centuries. The concept of catharsis is often mentioned when the history of drama therapy and psychodrama is told. You can find out more about the origins of the concept and how it is understood today in our article what is catharsis.
In present-day approaches, the stage and role-play are used as tools that can help a person look at their own story from a different angle. In psychodrama, for example, a person can enact a scene from their life with the support of the group, step into someone else's shoes and find a chance to say what they have never been able to say. If you are curious about how this method works, take a look at our article what is psychodrama.
There is a kinship between a tragedy watched in an ancient theatre and a drama session today; but one runs on belief and art, the other within a trained framework and a careful process.
Another important difference is this: in ancient theatre, a person was a spectator; in today's drama-based approaches, they are usually a participant. Research on the effects of these approaches is also limited; in some areas the evidence is insufficient or uncertain. For this reason, drama-based work is a set of methods to be considered together with other psychological or medical support where needed.
Reading the Ancient Stories: What Do We Know, and What Don't We?
People researching what an Asklepion is come across very varied and sometimes contradictory information online. Some articles say there were particular conditions for patients to be admitted, some describe particular treatments being applied, and others say famous physicians worked there. Some of these details may be based on archaeological and historical research; others may have emerged as tourist narratives were embellished over time.
What we can say with confidence based on the sources used for this article is this: the Asklepion of Pergamon is presented as an ancient healing centre where sleep, water, theatre and music are mentioned together. For details beyond that, you need to consult archaeological publications and museum sources.
A few questions that may help you as you read:
- Where does this information come from? An archaeologist, a historian, a museum, or a travel article of unclear origin?
- Is it describing a practice or a belief? The sentence "People used to get well here" may also mean that people hoped to get well here.
- Is it tied to a present-day product? Be cautious about content that describes an ancient practice and then recommends a product, a cure or a "natural treatment package".
- Is it using the language of certainty? Phrases such as "they would definitely recover" or "thousands regained their health" give the impression that we have the kind of records for antiquity that we simply do not have.
Asking "What Is an Asklepion?" as You Explore: Tips for Your Visit
To turn the idea of ancient healing into a more meaningful experience while touring Pergamon, you could try the following:
- Sit quietly for a while. Put your phone away for a few minutes among the ruins and just listen. The wind, the birds, voices in the distance… It is possible to experience, on a small scale, the ancient visitor's sense of stepping away from the bustle of daily life.
- Imagine a scene in the theatre. Sit on the steps and think about what feelings a play performed there might have stirred in its audience. When did a film, play or song last make you cry or leave you feeling lighter?
- Talk with children. A question such as "In the old days, when people were ill they came here to sleep. Why might that be?" can open a lovely conversation with children about the importance of sleep and rest.
- Think about your own places of recovery. What is "a small Asklepion" for you? A park, a seafront, a bookshop, a friend's kitchen… Asking yourself this question can help you notice concrete steps of self-care.
Let's say a group of students on a school trip from Manisa are sitting on the steps of the theatre. Their teacher says, "Watching plays here was said to do people good." One student adds, "When I go on stage in our school drama club, I feel more relaxed too." This brief moment shows how an ancient idea can echo in a young person's experience today; but it still does not mean that getting on stage will solve every difficulty.
How Is Mental Health Support Approached Today?
One of the most valuable ideas ancient healing centres left us is that of seeing a person as a whole. In mental health today, too, a person's sleep, relationships, living conditions, thoughts and feelings are assessed together. The difference is that this assessment is now based on methods tested through research. Structured approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy are used in many areas, including sleep problems, anxiety and depression.
Creative and artistic elements can also find a place in this process. Music, drawing, writing or role work can help a person express their feelings and see themselves from a different angle. But they do not replace psychotherapy or, where needed, medical treatment; they play a supportive role alongside them.
If you notice the following in yourself or someone close to you, it may help to talk to a professional:
- Sleep problems lasting for weeks, constant tiredness or a feeling of never being rested
- Anxiety, low mood or lack of motivation that makes it hard to manage daily tasks
- Withdrawing from others or moving away from things you used to enjoy
- Thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life
If the last point applies, call 112 (emergency services) without delay or go to your nearest emergency department.
In Turkey, many people may brush off insomnia or constant tension as "just a phase", "pressure at work" or "the stress of the rising cost of living". These conditions are of course real; but you do not have to wait for everything to improve before talking about a difficulty that has been going on for a long time. In individual therapy, your sleep, your daily routine and the feelings that are weighing on you can be explored together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an Asklepion the same as a hospital?
Not exactly. An Asklepion was a sanctuary built in honour of Asklepios, the god of medicine, where faith and the hope of healing were intertwined. There was no hospital organisation in today's sense, with scientific treatment and record-keeping.
Were patients at the Asklepion of Pergamon really treated through their dreams?
It is said that patients slept in the sanctuary and that their dreams were interpreted as signs about their recovery. However, the details of this practice are debated in the sources, and there is no scientific basis for the idea that dreams are healing.
What is the link between catharsis and the Asklepion?
The presence of a theatre at the Asklepion gives rise to the idea that the performing arts were part of this experience. Aristotle's concept of catharsis, describing the purification tragedy brings about in the audience, is also frequently mentioned today in the history of drama-based approaches.
Can ancient healing methods be used for mental health problems today?
Rest, good sleep, time in nature and engaging with art can contribute to general wellbeing. But it is not appropriate to carry ancient practices into the present as a form of treatment; for mental health problems, it is important to turn to methods that have been tested through research.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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