Aerides: The oldest weather station in the world located in Greece
The ancient Greeks and the Greek culture can boast of many firsts, great corrections and inventions that count thousands of years of life even now and today.
One of her firsts Greece and the oldest weather station in the worldwhich is located in the historical center of Athens and is none other than the famous Aeris.
The impressive marble building, one of the most important ancient monuments in Greece, the Tower of the Winds as it is otherwise known, it stands directly below the Acctownin the center of the ancient Roman Agora, and dates from the 1st century BC.
This is a beautiful look octagonal tower, 13.5 meters high with a diameter of about 8 meters, which is made of fine Pentelian marble. The building has no columns, while in the same number of places they are carved eight cardinal Winds, from whom he got his popular name. It has two doors, one to the north and one to the west, and its roof is conical with tiles.
In essence, it is a building that follows the Corinthian style (from the capitals), while its interior, heavier and stricter, is Doric style.
To this day, the exact reason for its construction and its placement in the specific spot of the Roman Agora is not exactly known, however, what is known from the testimonies of the time is that the Tower of the Winds was designed by astronomer Andronikos of Cyrus of ancient Macedonia.
Clock tower and weather station two in one
The monument, which over the years has impressed travelers and historians both for its construction and for its scientific usefulness, is also known as Temple of Aeolos.
Research shows that the height of the structurethe sundialsThe weathercock and its placement at the specific point of the Roman market make the Tower of the Winds as a early example of a clock tower.
However, archaeologists believe it is probably as much a clock tower as a species weather station which was probably by the traders to calculate the time and the prevailing winds which affected the trade routes through which their hampers would reach.
top of the roof of the Tower of Winds In one brass weathervane in the form of Tritonwhich was rotated to indicate the direction of one of the eight cardinal winds, while there are also eight sundials.
The beautiful winged Winds are the most impressive feature of the Airs, they “fly” in relief, with their name inscribed on each of the eight sides of the towereach of which carries one special symbol. they are Voras (north), Kaikias (northeast), Apiliotis (east), Evros (southeast), Notos (south), Cheili (Livas, southwest), Zephyros (west) and Skiron (northwest) .
inside, to calculate the time on sunless days, there was a special hydraulic clock installationwhich was powered by water coming down from the Acropolis through a pipe.
Researchers believe that the height of the tower was such that the sundials and wind vane would be visible in the Agora. Greekreporter.com even reports that one can easily conclude that the maker of the monument combined the inventions of previous watchmakerslike his Archimedesof Ctesiphon and his Friends.
The tower over the centuries
The history of the monument of the Tower of the Winds inside the Roman Agora followed the history of Athens itself. In the early Christian years the Aeris were used as bell tower of a Byzantine churchwhile a cemetery was built in the surrounding area.
When, however, the Byzantine Empire collapsed after the fall of Constantinople, and Greece came under the possession of the Ottomans, the monument was built. place of prayer for the Mevlevi order of dervishes and was called “The Tekke of Brakis”.
It was then that the dervishes opened the windows that were not there when the tower was built – ironically, thanks to the Mevlevi dervishes the Tower of the Winds still stands in Athens.
THE lord elginthe man who removed and transported them Parthenon sculptures in England, he had set his sights on this particular monument as well. In fact, according to greekreporter.com, Lord Elgin wanted to move the entire Tower of Winds to England, but the Mevlevid Dervishes would not allow it..
After the liberation of Greece from the Ottomans, the Athenians of the time believed that the building was temple dedicated to the god of the winds, Aeolus -in accordance with greecehighdefinition.com which mentions that it was described in this way by the traveler Kyriakos Agonitis – from where Aiolou Street, which ended in the Roman Agora of the time, got its name.
The monument was included in Antiquities and the Archaeological Sites of Athens and was fully excavated on 19th century from the Hellenic Archaeological Society. It gave its name to the neighborhood that developed around it and is not one of the most picturesque parts of old Athens, which will always remind us of the ingenuity and acumen of our ancient ancestors.