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The Byzantine Baths and Their History
The Byzantine Bath in Thessaloniki, dating to the late 12th or early 13th century, is one of the few and best preserved of the Byzantine baths that have survived from the Byzantine period in Greece. It is located on the Theotokopoulou Street in the Upper Old Town of Thessaloniki. The bath was one of several in Thessaloniki but is the only surviving in the city and the largest and most complete of a handful surviving Byzantine baths in Greece in general.
The original architecture follows the typical conventions of Roman baths. The entrance leads to the rectangular frigidarium rooms, which were used as dressing rooms. Then came two vaulted warm rooms (tepidarium) and finally two hot rooms (caldarium). To the north of the baths was the water reservoir, with a hearth beneath to warm it. In Byzantine times the building was alternately used by men and women, but during the Ottoman era, it was converted into a double bath for men and women, by blocking off passageways communicating the chambers of the antechamber, warm room, and hot room.
It functioned continuously until 1940, when they shut down probably due to World War II and the German occupation of Greece. Although closed, the bath was subject to neglect and damage during the 1978 earthquakes. In 1988, it was included among the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Following four years of restoration work, the bath was re-opened to the public as a museum and cultural space in June 2015. The Byzantine baths is a monument of unique beauty that will grant you special memories. Get a chance to visit them by using an affordable rental car that you will pick up from Thessaloniki airport. Rent a low priced car from our Car Rental Agency, this way it will be easier for you to access the Byzantine Baths.