Egyptian Art and the Imperial Cult at the Red Hall in Pergamon

Abstract

The Red Hall (Kızıl Avlu) in Pergamon has long been considered a sanctuary to Egyptian gods, mostly because of the unmistakably Egyptianizing caryatids and atlantes found at the site. Yet save for the evocative figures, there is no irrefutable evidence to tie the Red Hall to Egypt or Egyptian cults. Nevertheless, the features of the building indicate that it served a religious function. Historical and material evidence points to the Imperial Cult of Hadrian. The emperor has been linked by date, style, and material to the Red Hall, and the presence of several altars confirm that an active cult of Hadrian existed near the site. Hadrian was also linked with Egyptian styles and deities during his reign, and he was even sometimes associated with Sarapis. Instead of affirming that an exclusively Egyptian religion was practiced at the Red Hall, the Egyptianizing sculptures at the site may have only expressed part of the building’s religious identity, in which the Roman emperor was honored alongside, or perhaps as, a major Egyptian deity.