Crowds have been clamouring to visit Berlin’s Pergamon Museum to view world-renowned treasures including the ancient Ishtar Gate of Babylon before the museum closes on Sunday for years of renovations, says german news agency DPA.
The museum, among the most popular in all of Germany, will be completely closed for four years, and parts of the museum are expected to remain closed until 2037.
The north and central wings of the building, which include the famous and massive ancient Greek Pergamon Altar have already been without public access for a decade. That portion of the museum is expected to reopen in 2027.
Tourists have formed long lines outside the Pergamon Museum in the hope of getting last-minute tickets, which are otherwise sold out. The museum has extended opening hours for its final few days to try to accommodate the crowds.
Built between 1910 and 1930, the Pergamon is considered one of the highlights of Berlin’s Museum Island, a cluster of museums in the heart of the German capital that is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
During the extensive renovation work, huge immovable works in the museum, which weigh many tons, will be equipped with sensitive sensors and protected from vibrations or moisture. The total cost is expected to reach €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion).
