Tower of the Winds, Athens

The most remarkable structure within the Roman Forum complex, this exquisite octagonal marble tower, standing 12 meters tall, served a dual purpose as a horologion—essentially a "timepiece"—and is often regarded as the world's earliest meteorological station. Featuring a combination of sundials, a water clock, and a wind vane, it is attributed to a Syrian Greek astronomer from around 50 BC, although some sources suggest it might have been built in the 2nd century BC prior to the rest of the Forum.

Below the frieze, which portrays the eight wind deities—Boreas (North), Kaikias (Northeast), Apeliotes (East), Eurus (Southeast), Notus (South), Lips (Southwest), Zephyrus (West), and Skiron (Northwest)—you can observe the eight sundials. Meanwhile, within the tower's interior, there was once a complex water clock, or clepsydra, driven by water piped down from the Acropolis. Recent research has revealed that the tower's considerable height was intentional, as it aimed to position the sundials and wind vane at a visible elevation within the Agora, essentially making it an early prototype of a clocktower.

Ironically, during the early Christian era, the building served as the bell-tower for an Eastern Orthodox church. Under Ottoman rule, it was repurposed as a 'tekke' and used by whirling dervishes for their meditative dances. During this time, it was partially buried, with visible traces of this alteration found within the interior, featuring Turkish inscriptions on the walls.

Admission to the site is included in the ticket price for visiting the Roman Agora or is covered by the Acropolis combination ticket.