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Bathhouse of the Winds in Athens

Greece › Athens › Museums › Bathhouse of the Winds
By Santorini Dave

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Sea green second-level corridor with curtained doorways and a painting of two Greek women

Athens’ Bathhouse of the Winds is the only Ottoman-built public bath remaining in the city.

Tickets: Purchase at the museum.

Bathhouse of the Winds, an annex of the Museum of Greek Culture since 1999, is also known as the Hammam of Abid Efendi. It was built during the Ottoman Empire in Greece (1453-1669) and was operational until until 1965; it is the only remaining public bathhouse in Athens.

Bathhouses date as far back as the Neolithic period in prehistoric settlements such as Knossos in Crete. Ottomans-built hammams like this one were modeled after Roman and Byzantine baths. In addition to cleanliness, bathhouses were also a place for meditation, relaxation, and an escape from daily routine. They were places for social gathering and the only places women were allowed to go outside the family home. They were often called “the silent doctor” because people believed they had medical and therapeutic effects.

In Bathhouse of the Winds, labyrinth-like halls lead visitors into different rooms and areas. There is a video room upstairs and an excellent audio guide is available that helps to bring the experience to life; be sure to ask for it as it may not be offered. Centrally-located in Plaka, about a 450-meter walk from Monastiraki Square and metro station.

Bathhouse of the Winds Hours and Information

  • Hours: Wednesday to Monday 8:30am – 3:30pm. Closed Tuesdays.
  • Website: mnep.gr
  • Location: Kyrristou 8
  • Telephone: +30 210 324 4340
  • Admission Fee: General Admission 2€
  • Free Entry: People aged 18 and under. March 6, April 18, May 18, June 5, September 27, the last weekend of September, Sundays between November 1 and March 31 the first Sunday of every month except for July, August and September (when the first Sunday is holiday, then the second is the free admission day.)
  • Parking: Street Parking, nearby pay lots.
  • Nearest Metro: Monastiraki

Bathhouse of the Winds

PInk building with a dark green doorway on a narrow city street

The Bathhouse of the WInds is located on a narrow, nondescript street in Athens’ Plaka neighborhood, near the Roman Agora.

Large tiled corridor surrounded by loght-green painted wooden stalls

Ottoman-built bathhouses like these were modeled after Roman and Byzantine baths, and were a place for cleansing, meditation, relaxation, and an escape from daily routine.

Wall of light-green wooden stalls, with one door ajar

Wooden stall with musical instruments on a bench and towels hanging on wall pegs

Green wooden arched door leading to terra-cotta passageways

Room with marble tile floor and rustic terra cotta walls

Room with terra cotta walls and marble bench and basins

Domed terra cotta ceiling with circular glass skylights

Room with terra cotta walls, marble floors, and an arched doorway

Room with terra cotta walls, marble floor and basins, and visible stone ruins below
Stone ruins of a well, visible through a glass panel in a marble floor

Terra cotta ceiling with circular glass skylights

Corridor with terra cotta walls, arched doorways, and a green wood-panelled doorway

Corridor with tiled floor, and a stairway leading up

Upstairs staircase landing with green-painted wood stalls

Green-panelled hallway with curtained doorways

Darkened room with an image of a bathhouse projected on the wall

Painted ceiling with skylights

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About Santorini Dave

Santorini Dave I’m Santorini Dave. I started this site in 2011 with a quick guide on visiting Santorini with kids. Now, my small team and I provide guides to Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Crete, Athens, and all of Greece - as well as favorite places to stay in some of my favorite cities - like London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, and Florence. Email me at dave@santorinidave.com.