1. History

Bath ΙΙ 11 Β of Anemourion is located between walls ΙΙ 14 F and 1 F. It shares its north façade with Bath ΙΙΙ 2Β, while the east facade looks over the sea. Fikret Yegul has observed that the bath complex shares the basic features of Late Roman baths in the small provincial towns of Cilicia and eastern Pamphylia.¹ For example, the ground plan shows asymmetric arrangement of small and medium-sized barrel-vaulted rooms, while the exterior of the main entrance side is formed by the apsidal walls of some of the bath’s rooms. Bath complexes ΙΙ 11Β and ΙΙΙ 2Β of Anemourion, as well as Bath 5B of Iotape, belong to a local bath type with characteristic apsidal chambers and an internal arrangement that only permits reserved circulation following a specific course inside the bath; in the same time, they are all variants of the type in which the three hot chambers are arranged in a row.² In particular, Bath 5B of Iotape and Bath II 11B of Anemourion are set apart, since they have three parallel apsidal halls aligned in north-south direction, with the apse of the central hall on the opposite side of the other two. The cold (frigidarium) and hot chambers (caldarium) are arranged on the south, east and west sides of the central hall; the latter opens to only one of the rooms, thus leading the visitor to follow a specific, peripheral course inside the complex. This arrangement is generally a characteristic of the ring-type plan baths; from this point of view, Bath ΙΙ 11Β of Anemourion belongs to this type.

The bath was excavated in the 1960s and the external walls have been preserved up to the springing line of the arch. It has been dated, with some uncertainty, to the 3rd c. AD.

2. Αrchitectural Description

The ground plan shows a large hall and seven rooms, though the hall opens only to one of them. On the south part of the complex there are three oblong arched chambers, aligned in north-south direction and with an apse on the one of their narrow sides. In two of the rooms (Ε, G) the apse is formed on the south wall, while the apse of the third room (F) is on its north side. All three rooms have openings on their south sides. According to Elisabeth Rosenbaum,³ access was through a door in room G, which had a monolithic lintel and was framed by two niches 1.75 m high. Room G communicated with the next room (F) through a door in its south-western corner. Chamber F had a big opening to the south, while its apse to the north is blind. The partition wall between rooms F and E has collapsed. Room Ε has a big arched opening on its north side. Under the floor of room Ε there are hypocausts with the clay plastered colonettes. Attached to the north of the room G, there is a fourth chamber (Β) with an apse to the west. The courtyard on the northern side of the complex is preserved. It has a massive wall with two rectangular niches to the west, while from the east it gives access to a rectangular barrel-vaulted chamber (C). Another arched entrance leads to chamber B. A small square room (A) was brought to light together with the massive wall to the west. Τhe very well preserved light-red hydraulic mortar indicates that it was a cistern. Room C communicates with the also barrel-vaulted room D. Some remains to the east suggest the existence of yet another barrel-vaulted chamber. A staircase leading to bath complex III 2 B was found in the north-eastern corner of the hall. Three buttresses mark the western entrance. A drain found in the south apse of room Ε continues its course outside the apse too.

As regards building techniques and materials, carved stones were used in the foundations, while the frames of the openings were made of monolithic limestone pieces. Mud bricks were used for the hypocausts of room Ε, as well as for blocking a small part on the east wall of room G.