Moisture causes damage to Tower of Winds

• Category: News
Moisture and time are the key factors which have caused today severe damage to the Tower of Winds, one of the most important monuments of Ancient Greece. This octagonal structure, simply called Aerides (meaning the winds) is located in the heart of the Roman Market in Plaka Athens and was used to indicate the hour and wind direction. In the Byzantine years, it was turned into a Christian temple while later on, it became a Muslim mosque. Today, the tower is left exposed to weather conditions and moisture is the primary factor of its current condition. This octagonal marble structure built in the first half of the 1st century by the famous astronomer Andronikos is severely damaged due to moisture problems. So much in the interior as well as the exterior aspects of the tower, cracks, and black crust in the veneers reveal the high levels of moisture damage that even threatens to cause decay in the marbles. That is why the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Central Archeological Council recently gave their approval to proceed with the maintenance works on this monument, a symbol of Ancient Greece.