Wanderings: The Tower of the Winds

February 16, 2026

A nice stroll from Plaka through the Athens passed by churches built 800 years apart, but less than 800 yards from each other. Hadrian's Library was a Roman-era site; the cats here were hiding from the rain on shelves containing artifacts from the site. A variety of geometric mosaics are visible.

The Tower of the Winds (1) (also known as Horologian Andronikos Cyrrestes, as the tower also functioned as a sundial) is at the nearby Roman Forum/Agora and was built in the first Century B.C.E. In English, the winds some from the four Cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west), with winds in between bearing portmanteau titles such as northwest or southeast. The Romans/Greeks of the era had eight separate wind names, with in-between winds bearing their own names.

Each of the winds is represented on the tower by the outcomes the winds would bring. The warm east (Apeliotes) wind was good for growing, so the east wind figure depiction includes a clock overflowing with fruits and grains. The northwest (Sciron) wind shows an upturned bronze pot filled with ash for the fires that the northwest winds can bring.

The flat-summit of the Acropolis (2) made the hill a good site for public buildings, with many temples being constructed in the 400s B.C.E. The largest building on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, a Temple to Athena, the Godess of Wisdom and the city's namesake (3). An app offers "Clio" a virtual guide who tells the history of the buildings and shows how the buildings would have looked in antiquity, with colorful images painted on the statues and bas l-reliefs on the pediments.

We descended to the south, sheltered from the northwest winds on this partly-cloudy day. We ascended back up to Areopagus Hill on the Acropolis, joining the small crowd for the sunset.

(1) At the Blue Hill Observatory outside Boston, the weather room displays reproductions of the 8 winds from the Tower in the Winds in Athens.

(2) Acro means edge or summit, while Polis means City. There is larger hill in Athens (Lycabettus), but the flat summit of the Acropolis was more suitable for temple construction.

(3) The story goes that Athena and Poseiden (God of the Sea) both sought patronage of the city. Poseiden created a spring, but the residents soon discovered it produced salt water. Athena planted an olive tree that grew instantly, winning the favor of the people, who gratefully named the city on her honor.

Byzantine era Church (12th to 14th century, construction date uncertain), with the Greek-Republic era Cathedral in Background

At the Cathedral of the Annunciation, Greek Republic era (1842). During the Ottoman era, the height of churches was restricted.

Church of Panagia Kapnikarea (c. 1050) in Central Athens

Dimunitive Church of Saint Kyriaki. Ottoman era, 16th Century

Inside Saint Kyriaki, The metal halos on the ceiling are quite visible, but the paint on the saints has faded.

Cats sheltering from the rain at Hadrian's Library

At Hadrian's Library

The west (Zephyrus) and southwest (Libs) winds

The South (Notus) wind

The Northwest (Sciron) and North (Boreas) winds

Northeast (Kaikas) wind

East (Apeliotes) wind

The Tower of the Winds/Horologian Andronikos Cyrrestes

Two days later, we found this print in a used bookstore. Judging by the clothing, the print appears to from early Greek Republic period (early to mid 1800s).