The spatial organization of public spaces in the ancient thought; the case of Pergamon

Abstract

Spatial organization of public spaces has been an issue that involves social and temporal differentiations reflecting the thought systems of the communities to which they belong. These differentiations make it obligatory to assess the form of ancient thought, its conjuncture and their spatial reflections together as the period that the first appearance of the terms publicity/public were formed during. There are spatial differences that dwell upon the way of thinking and living in both the ancient era and the present day. These differences are caused by a transformation from a more public lifestyle to the self-oriented human profile in the present day. Public lifestyle here refers a composition of differentiating ideas about the understanding and interpreting all elements of life in ancient life in ancient era. At the same time a self-oriented human profile is a human profile that returns to oneself and is personalized is under the crushing capitalism which based upon the assumption that man can rule the world using technology. Therefore, tracing and depicting the historical origins of the semantic and spatial meanings of the concept of publicity, with a parallel approach to the philosophy of Arendt which interprets the critique of the modern era in reference to the ancient thought founding it to the idea of shaping the future today, constitutes the subject of this study. In this context, the ancient Pergamon has been analysed with the help of archaeological expeditions in order to define the design criteria of public spaces in the ancient period as one of civilisation the centres established in Western Anatolia that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon and played a significant role. Today, the ancient Pergamon is to the north and west of the modern city of Pergamon (Bergama) in Turkey. Hence, the results of this study are expected to contribute the literature as the first step of a future comparison between ancient era and today on this subject.