About
"The Roman Baths stand along Çankırı Street, which stretches from Ulus Square to Yıldırım Beyazıt Square. Today, the area is preserved as one of Ankara’s most significant Roman-period archaeological sites, accessible to visitors as both an open-air museum and a heritage ruins zone. The complex consists of two main structural components: the gymnasium (palaestra) and the bathing complex. The gymnasium is a monumental, nearly square-planned courtyard, framed on all four sides by columned porticoes (revak / colonnaded galleries).
The cold room (frigidarium), warm room (tepidarium), and hot room (caldarium) are attached to the gymnasium as a unified architectural mass, reflecting a holistic spatial design. The complex was conceived as an imperial-era public monument, incorporating courtyards, a furnace area (külhan), hypocaust heating systems, water reservoirs, and service and workshop sections. The primary remains visible today include the lower hypocaust levels and service infrastructure.
Archaeological finds recovered through excavations—such as coins, inscriptions, relief fragments, and Corinthian capitals—indicate that the complex was built during the reign of Emperor Caracalla (AD 211–217). The baths were later repaired and continued to be in use during the Byzantine period, as confirmed by archaeological evidence.
Since 2020, conservation and partial restoration work has improved structural safety and the overall visitor experience, enhancing the site’s legibility and accessibility. The gymnasium section of the Roman Baths continues to display a rich outdoor collection of inscriptions gathered from Roman-era Ancyra (ancient Ankara), making it one of the most important epigraphic open-air exhibits in the city. The site lies within the historical heart of Ulus and remains a key node along Ankara’s cultural pedestrian routes."