Roman Agora
· Landmarks · 4 min
Where Athens met Rome: the Tower of the Winds and the old Roman marketplace.
At the Roman Agora, Greek Athens and Rome overlap. Look for the Tower of the Winds, an ancient timekeeping monument, then walk the remains of the marketplace to the Gate of Athena Archegetis.
The Roman Agora represents Athens under Roman rule — a period of cultural fusion that produced some of the city's most distinctive monuments. The octagonal Tower of the Winds, built in the 1st century BC, functioned as a horologion — combining a sundial, water clock, and wind vane.
The monumental gate at the western entrance, known as the Gate of Athena Archegetis, still stands, with its four Doric columns. The Fethiye Mosque within the agora grounds adds yet another layer to this site's rich history, dating from the Ottoman period.