Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds up close

Athenians call it “Aerides”, the Winds. The octagonal marble tower in the Roman Agora was a weather vane, a sundial and a water clock all at once, a public “city clock” two thousand years ago. The site is small, but it rewards anyone who stays a few minutes longer: the eight winds still fly along the frieze, and since 2016 you can also go inside the tower. From Ioulianou 50 you get there in 20 minutes, two stops on Line 1.

At a glance

🎟️ 10€

Reduced €5. Free for EU citizens under 25.

🕗 From 8:00

Until 20:00 in summer, until 15:00 in winter.

🚇 Monastiraki

Line 1, two stops. From the station, 3 minutes on foot.

⏱️ 30–45 minutes

For the agora and the tower, with a look inside.

Two monuments, one ticket

With the same ticket you see two things. The Roman Agora was built in the time of Augustus, around 19–11 BC, as a market: a large rectangular courtyard with porticoes, shops and storerooms. Hadrian later paved the courtyard with large marble slabs. What you see today is about half of it. The rest is buried under the houses of Plaka.

You enter on the west side, through the Gate of Athena Archegetis, a gateway with four Doric columns and a pediment of Pentelic marble. For years travellers thought it was a temple. Inscriptions about taxes on olive-oil merchants showed it was the gate to the market. Inside, to the east, stands the Tower of the Winds, and in the corner towards the Acropolis, the Ottoman Fethiye Mosque.

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The Gate of Athena Archegetis with its four Doric columns and pediment, with visitors in front — The Gate of Athena Archegetis
The west entrance of the market. The four columns still stand intact.

The Gate of Athena Archegetis from the street, behind the railings, with a cyclist passing — From the street
You can also see the Gate from outside, from the pedestrian street.

Rows of broken columns in the Roman Agora with the Tower of the Winds in the background — The market courtyard
The bases of the shop porticoes. In the background, the Tower of the Winds.

The entrance porch of the Fethiye Mosque with arches and columns, inside the Roman Agora — The Fethiye Mosque
An Ottoman mosque inside the site. It opens now and then for exhibitions.

The ruins of the Roman-era public latrines, with the Fethiye Mosque in the background — The public latrines
Roman latrines from the 1st century AD, east of the Tower.

Photos: Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0), George E. Koronaios (CC0), Davide Mauro (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

The Tower of the Winds: what to look for

The tower is attributed to the astronomer Andronikos of Kyrrhos and is usually dated to the 1st century BC. Vitruvius mentions it too. It’s small, but almost every surface had a job. Walk around it and look for three things.

The eight winds. Below the roof, on each side, a winged wind flies towards the direction it blows from: Boreas, Kaikias, Apeliotes, Euros, Notos, Lips, Zephyros and Skiron. Each holds something that gives him away. Cold Boreas blows into a conch. Gentle Zephyros scatters flowers.
The sundials. Below each wind, fine lines carved into the marble. The bronze pointer that cast the shadow is lost, but the lines remain.
The weather vane. On top of the conical roof, a bronze Triton turned and pointed with a rod at the wind that was blowing. It doesn’t survive.

Inside there was a water clock that measured the hours even on days without sun, with water coming down from the Acropolis. The mechanism is lost, but you can still see the channels in the floor. Since the restoration of 2016 you can go inside. Look up: the ceiling is made of marble slabs that meet like rays.

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The octagonal marble Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora, among trees — The Tower of the Winds
Eight sides, one for each wind. About 12 metres tall.

The reliefs of the winged winds on the frieze of the Tower of the Winds, at the corner of two sides — The frieze of the winds
Each wind holds its symbol: a conch, a cloak, flowers.

Relief of Boreas, the north wind, bearded and holding a conch, on the Tower of the Winds — Boreas
The cold north wind, an old man with a beard, blowing into a conch.

The inside of the Tower of the Winds with its round floor and the water channel — Inside the Tower
On the floor you can see the traces of the water clock.

The marble ceiling of the Tower of the Winds from inside, with slabs meeting in the centre — The ceiling
Look up: the roof is marble, like rays.

Photos: Jebulon (CC0), Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0), George E. Koronaios (CC BY-SA 4.0), John Samuel (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

The tower’s later lives

The Tower of the Winds changed jobs many times, and that’s why it survived so well. In early Christian times it became the bell tower of a church. In Ottoman times it was a tekke, a prayer hall for the Mevlevi dervishes, who performed their whirling dance here. Traces of that time still survive inside. Its shape also inspired other buildings, such as the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford.

East of the tower you’ll also see the public latrines from the 1st century AD, with the seats in a row. The Romans weren’t shy about such things. They built them in marble.

Tickets and opening hours 2026

Season	Hours
1 April – 31 August	8:00–20:00
1–15 September	8:00–19:30
16–30 September	8:00–19:00
1–15 October	8:00–18:30
16–31 October	8:00–18:00
1 November – 31 March	8:00–15:00

The ticket costs €10 and the reduced one €5. EU citizens under 25 get in free with an ID card or passport. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. The site is closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25 and 26 December. The free days are in our calendar of free museum days.

💡 Is it worth going in?

You can see the tower well from the street too, from the corner of Aiolou and Kyrristou, without a ticket. Inside, though, you see the winds up close, the gate from within and the inside of the tower. If you like Roman Athens, combine it with Hadrian’s Library, two minutes north.

🚇 How to get there from Ioulianou 50

One line, no change. Allow about 20 minutes door to door.

Ioulianou 50 → Victoria station: 3 minutes on foot.
Line 1 (green), towards Piraeus: Omonia, and at the second stop get off at Monastiraki.
Monastiraki → Gate: come out onto the square, walk past Hadrian’s Library and go three minutes south, up to the Gate of Athena Archegetis.

🚇 Ioulianou 50 → Roman Agora by metro

Line 1 to Monastiraki, no change, and 3 minutes on foot.

Ioulianou 50 · on foot Line 1 Roman Agora · Gate

🗺️ From Monastiraki to the Tower of the Winds, stop by stop

Three minutes from the station, passing Hadrian’s Library on the way. The entrance is on the west side, at the Gate. You can also see the Tower from outside, from the corner with Aiolou.

Monastiraki station Roman Agora On foot

Where it is in relation to the apartment

📍 From Angels Athens to the Roman Agora · Tower of the Winds

See at a glance how to get there from the apartment at Ioulianou 50. Drag the map and zoom in for details.

Angels Athens · Ioulianou 50 Roman Agora · Tower of the Winds

What to combine it with

The Roman Agora sits in the middle of a lovely walk. Two minutes north is Hadrian’s Library. A little higher, the steps climb towards Anafiotika and the Acropolis. To the west, five minutes away, is the Ancient Agora. You’ll find the whole of Roman Athens on foot, as far as the Olympieion, in our guide to Hadrian’s Library.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the tower?

Yes. Since 2016, after the restoration, the inside is open to visitors on the same ticket.

How much time do I need?

Thirty to forty-five minutes. If you’re in a hurry, head straight for the tower and walk around the winds.

Best time for photos?

Early morning or late afternoon, when the light is low and brings the reliefs to life. The clearest shot of the tower is from the south-east corner of the agora.

— Kathy