Unfairly regarded by Europeans as merely a beach destination, modern Turkey is full of unsolved mysteries. Its lands have lived through numerous archaeological excavations. One would think that by this point everything has been discovered, but Turkey manages to surprise researchers every time. Almost every tourist knows that this Islamic country has many Christian cathedrals, Roman pantheons, and ancient Greek sanctuaries. However, the fact that people of these lands used to worship Egyptian gods became an unexpected discovery even for archaeologists who had found a unique place of worship in Bergama.

The monumental landmark of sacred architecture was built in the early 2nd century during the rule of Roman Emperor Hadrian. It was made from red brick (that's where its name, the Red Basilica, comes from). The use of brick in the construction of places of worship was rare for that area. Thus, some believe that its patron must have been very wealthy to be able to bring it to the city. Some historians believe that Emperor Hadrian himself was the most likely candidate, especially considering that he is known to be an enthusiastic venerator of the Egyptian gods.

However, it is still unclear which specific gods were worshipped there. Inscriptions mentioning Serapis were found on its brick walls, and a small terracotta head of Isis was discovered in the area. Moreover, rotundas have been used for the worship of Horus, god of the sky, and Anubis, god of the Underworld. The layout of the building indicates that it was used to worship ancient Egyptian gods. Unlike Greeks, who considered the entire building to be the house of the divinity, the gods worshipped here were confined only to a small area, similarly to other temples dedicated to Serapis and Isis. And finally, the Red Basilica houses many stone statues wearing Egyptian headdresses and fragments of marble floor brought from Egypt.