Tower of the Winds

The Tower of the Winds is an octagonal tower of Pentelic marble, located on the grounds of the Roman Agora in Athens, which functioned as a clock. It is considered to be the world's first meteorological station, and inside the tower were installed a water clock klepsydra, as well as a classical sundial. Such a tall structure was clearly visible from any point of the Agora, so it successfully played the role of a public clock tower. Presumably the structure was built in 50 b.c, but according to other sources in the 2nd century b.c. by the astronomer Andronicus Kirchestes of Cyrrhus.

The Tower of the Winds had a scientific purpose and from the moment of its appearance it immediately began to fulfill several important functions, being at the same time a sundial, a water clock and a weather vane. The fact that it is not a myth or fiction of scientists is confirmed by the images on the building. Each of its eight sides faces the points on the compass and is decorated with a frieze with relief figures depicting the winds blowing from that direction. The names have survived to the present day: Boreas (north), Kekius (northeast), Apeliot (east), Eurus (southeast), Notus (south), Lips (southwest), Zephyrus (west), and Skiron (northwest). 

Below the friezes were eight vertical sundials where the shadow was cast on the hour lines, they are still somewhat visible today. Originally, the top of the building was topped with a bronze weathervane depicting the Greek messenger Sea Triton, whose hand indicated the direction from which the wind was blowing. Inside the Tower were the elaborate internal Klepsydras (water clocks), which were driven by water flowing from a large well beneath the Acropolis. This mechanism was very important for telling time on cloudy days and at night when the sundial was not working.