Entrance to the Tower of the Winds - Illustration from Views of Greece by Edward Dodwell

Entrance to the Tower of the Winds is an illustration from the collection Views in Greece from Drawings published by Edward Dodwell in 1821.

The entrance to the Tower of the Winds, adorned with detailed bas-reliefs, invites visitors to discover this ancient monument dedicated to the eight winds. Located in the heart of Athens, this octagonal tower is a testament to the Greeks' interest in meteorology and the ingenuity of their utilitarian architecture.

The literal transcription of the notice accompanying this plate is reproduced below:

To the southeast of the Agora stands the octagonal Tower of the Eight Winds, the Clepsydra of Andronicus Cyrrhestes, described by Vitruvius, called Clock by Varro, and which was then effectively the hydraulic chronometer as well as the barometer of ancient Athens. This tower is more worthy of admiration for its originality than for its beauty. It escaped the observations of Pausanias, while Stuart, in numerous plates, does justice to this considerable and complete monument of antiquity.

On the lintel facing northeast, on a red background, we read the famous Arabic inscription, "La Illahi, Allah, Mahamed u resoul ullahi;" which means: There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.

The interior floor bears on the lower part of the cornice, several feet above the ancient pavement. The marble walls are uniformly whitewashed. The Mihrab, painted in perpendicular green and red lines, indicates, by its position, the direction of the Kaaba or oratory of Mecca. On each side of the Mihrab is a candle and one also sees the green standard of the prophet. The Koran is deposited in the niche, and a model of the two-edged sword of Ali hangs on the wall.

It is before these objects that the Dervishes perform their circular dance, during which the spectators find it all the more difficult to remain serious, as it would be very dangerous to appear otherwise. The Dervishes are not the only actors in this ceremony, for the other Turks may join in. Seated in a circle on the floor, they begin by praising God and the prophet. The movements of their heads and bodies, which they make forward and backward, and in time to the sound of two small drums, the only instruments that accompany them, indicate the fervor of their devotion, until finally the fury of enthusiasm seizes the whole assembly. Then all rise spontaneously, and turning without ceasing in their access of frenzy, they go through the apartment while the sheikh, or leader, drawn into the green sanctuary, and wearing a large white turban, excites them with his voice and the sound of his large drum. This curious ceremony bears a great resemblance to the festivals of the Corybantes, who danced, in honour of Cybele, to the sound of their cymbals, until they fell into delirium; a dance whose description given by Apuleius and Strabo is remarkably applicable to that which the modern Athenian Dervishes practice today.