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Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds
This was the later, Roman-era marketplace of Athens, and the standout piece is the Tower of the Winds, a near-intact octagonal marble tower that worked as a sundial, water clock, and weather vane all at once. It is a small site you can walk in 20 to 30 minutes, tucked into Plaka right below the Acropolis. The tower alone makes it worth a look, but be clear that the rest is foundations and scattered columns, so manage expectations.
Photos: Jakub Hałun (CC BY 4.0), Jebulon (CC0), Zde (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Go for the Tower of the Winds, which is one of the best-preserved ancient structures in the city and quietly remarkable. The rest of the site is modest, so treat it as a quick 20-minute stop folded into a Plaka and Agora walk, not a destination on its own. With the old combo ticket gone, decide if the standalone fee is worth it for what is mostly one great object.
Worth it for
- Seeing the near-intact Tower of the Winds up close
- A quick add-on inside a Plaka sightseeing loop
- Anyone who likes ancient engineering and clocks
You can skip if
- You only have time for the major Acropolis sites
- You are content seeing the tower from the street and not paying to enter
Tickets & tours for Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds
Which ticket should you buy?
What it is
When Athens fell under Roman control, commerce shifted from the older Greek Agora to a new rectangular market built nearby, funded in part by Julius Caesar and Augustus. What survives is the open court, a grand gateway of columns called the Gate of Athena Archegetis, and the foundations of the shops and colonnades that once ringed it.
It sits a couple of minutes' walk from the more famous Ancient Agora, and people often confuse the two. This is the smaller, later Roman one. The Greek Agora to the west is the bigger, older site with the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus.
What to see
The Tower of the Winds is the reason to come. Built around the 1st or 2nd century BC, it is an eight-sided marble tower carved with reliefs of the eight wind gods around the top, one per direction. It once held a water clock inside and a bronze weather vane on the roof, making it an ancient all-in-one timepiece. It is remarkably complete, which is rare among Athens ruins.
Beyond the tower, walk the entry gate and look at the layout of the old market floor and column stumps. There is also a Turkish-era former mosque on the site, a reminder that this ground stayed in use long after the Romans. Honestly, the rest is for people who enjoy reading a ruin from its foundations.
Visiting and tickets
Here is the thing to know: the old single combined ticket that covered the Acropolis plus six sites was abolished in April 2025. You now buy a separate ticket for the Roman Agora, with a cheaper winter rate and a higher summer one. Some private operators still sell their own bundled passes, but the official all-in-one is gone.
Hours run long in the warm season (roughly 8 to 8) and short in winter (roughly 8 to 3). It is small, so 20 to 30 minutes covers it. You can also get a clear look at the tower and gate from the surrounding Plaka streets without paying, if you only want a glance.
Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds: FAQs
No. This is the smaller Roman-era market. The Ancient (Greek) Agora is a separate, larger site a short walk west, with the very well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus. They are two different tickets and two different visits, often confused.
An octagonal marble tower from around the 1st to 2nd century BC that functioned as a sundial, water clock, and weather vane, with carved reliefs of the eight wind gods near the top. It is nearly intact, which is the highlight of the whole site.
The old official combo covering the Acropolis and six sites was changed in recent years, so you now buy a separate Roman Agora ticket. Some private operators sell their own multi-site passes, but the government all-in-one no longer exists.
About 20 to 30 minutes. It is a compact site, mostly the tower, the entry gate, and foundations.
Yes. The tower and the columned gate are visible from the Plaka lanes around the fence, so you can get a decent look without buying a ticket if you are only mildly curious.
It is in Plaka below the Acropolis, a short walk from Monastiraki metro station. The entrance is at the corner of Pelopida and Aiolou streets.
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