Also known as the Horologion of Andronicus of Cyrrhus, the Tower of the Winds is an octagonal monument at the site of the Roman Forum. Built by the Greek astronomer Andronicus in the 1st century BC, the building functioned as a weather vane and sundial.

The personifications of the eight winds are carved on its eight surfaces and weather vane. During the second phase of the Turkish occupation the monument was converted into a Dervish teke, a Muslim religious institution visited by members of the order from every corner of the Empire.

After the Revolution of 1821, the Dervish order abandoned the monument. Later, once Athens became the capital, the surrounding area was named Aerides, or ‘The Winds’, after this notable monument.