Roman Baths

What I can see

In a 21m wide area we see a bath of the Roman period, which consists of 2 rooms with a hypocaust, two firing hearths and nine tanks. The hot baths claim the largest room and comprise 15 small hypocaust columns (rectangular and cylindrical) and partition walls. The chamber of the lukewarm bath follows next, which rests on 17 small tomb columns. The praefurnia were linked to the bath with some underground passages and the hot air circulated through three tanks and a total composite air circulation system. During the Byzantine period, the baths were used as grain storage, and the jars were clamped to the floor, as seen today in the southern part.

What I can't see

The ancient bath was built in a time when water was plentiful, thanks to the river Ilissos. It was revealed during the ventilation shaft opening for the metro. After this discovery, the ventilation shaft was moved and the site was excavated. The bath continues towards the National Garden, and under Amalias Avenue. Another interesting element that emerged is that repairs were made to the hypocaust rooms in the following two centuries (5th and 6th century AD) and four new tanks were added. One had a tiled floor, and negligent artistic representations of human forms and religious symbols were found on its walls, which led to the conclusion that it had been a shelter or martyrdom in the early years of Christianity.

Info

• Address: Amalias Avenue

Bibliography