Tower of the Winds

The Tower of Winds is one of Athens’ most impressive landmarks, no doubt. It might not be the biggest or most ornate building, but what it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in its upkeep over the centuries. It dates as far back as the 1st century BC, yet it looks practically untouched by time. It’s actually an ancient water clock, one of the oldest in the world. It used the flow of water to measure time. We won’t get into the technical details, but what’s certain is that this one is a testament to the great engineering skills of the ancient Greeks. In fact, it’s considered to be the first weather station in the world. It once boasted eight sundials and a weather vane. Standing 12 metres tall, it’s decorated with high-reliefs depicting the eight Greek wind gods, one on each of its eight sides. It’s built in the Corinthian order, one of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture, and some historians claim that it’s the work of the engineer Andronicus of Cyrrhus. The tower has stood the test of time, exactly because it’s been constantly in use throughout its existence. In Byzantine times, it served as a church bell tower, and it even became a ballroom during the Ottoman occupation! It remained so up until the 19th century. Over time, it was forgotten and gradually sunk into the ground. Archaeologists only uncovered it in 1845, much to the delight of visitors who can marvel today at one of the greatest technological achievements of ancient Greece.