Roman Baths Ruins, Beirut

The Roman Baths of the old city of Berytus were discovered in downtown Beirut between Banks Street and Capuchin Street in 1968. One of the baths has been remade as a performance space and a venue for concerts. Mediterranean gardens have also been installed. The gardens grow medicinal herbs and plants once used in the ancient baths.

Ancient Berytus had four large thermae, or bath complexes. The bather would move through rooms with temperatures ranging from cold to hot. The heat was provided by a heating room under the bath floors. Terracotta disks and pipes warmed the air. There were pools of hot and cold water. Finally there was a massage parlor and spaces for music performances.

The baths were important meeting places open to all citizens. The first bath was built in the 1st century AD in the reign of Augustus. The Emperor Hadrian visited the thermae in the 2nd century. The devastating earthquake of 551 AD completely destroyed the baths.

The gardens of the baths of today are actually located in the Garden of Forgiveness. The garden descends through many layers of Beirut's past, to the Roman streets, the Forum, and even an altar from Phoenician times. The area was declared preserved by the Master Plan of the city government.