Description of the attraction
The Roman Baths in Bath is a museum and historical complex that includes a sacred spring, a Roman temple, a bathhouse and a museum displaying archaeological finds. The baths themselves are located below ground level; the houses above them were built in the 19th century.
Water, located in limestone aquifers at a depth of 2,700 to 4,300 meters, is heated by geothermal energy to temperatures ranging from 64 to 96 degrees Celsius. Under pressure, hot water is understood to the surface through cracks and faults in the limestone, forming hot mineral springs.
Even the ancient Celts revered these sources as sacred, linking them with the name of the goddess Sulis. The Romans, who identified Sulis with Minerva, called this settlement Aquae Sulis (Waters of Sulis) and built their temple here, and nearby were built Roman baths, or baths, on a foundation of oak piles with a lead roof. In the second century, baths had pools with hot, warm and cold water. During excavations, many tablets with curses were found here - on these plates people turned to the goddess with a request to punish their offender. A significant part of the curses found here are addressed to bath thieves who stole the clothes of the bathers.
Over the centuries, interest in healing springs either faded away or flared up again, but Bath experienced a real heyday in the 18th century, when it became fashionable in the aristocratic environment to ride on the water. At the same time, during the construction of new galleries and pavilions, the remains of Roman baths were discovered.
Now in the museum you can see various artifacts from the times of Roman rule, mainly - offerings to the goddess, which were thrown into a sacred source. There is also a gilded bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, found during excavations in 1727. Also in the museum you can learn about how the ancient Roman Roman temple looked like, which was located on this place, and how the baths were arranged.
