RESEARCHING THE POSITION OF FOUR BATHS WITHIN BYZANTINE’S CHANDAX TOPOGRAPHY

Studying the excavations of four baths in the centre of Heraclion revealed new evidence about the topography of byzantine Chandax. The basic idea consists in researching the correlation between these baths and landmarks of the city. Around the main square landmarks of secular and religious power are gathered during byzantine and venetian times. The vicinity of the landmarks of the city with the baths seems to be very important in everyday urban life. This paper aims as well to underline the factor of people’s circulation within the city and its impact to the baths. Circulation is seen especially throught the port to the main square “piazza” by the main street “Ruga Maistra”.

Excavations within the city walls which have revealed buildings , founded on marl as well as baths, are presented in order to conceptualize the topography and the density of urban life. At first baths are hypothetically attributed to middle byzantine times as the majority of surrounding building complexes, founded on marl, are dated in arab and byzantine times.

Parallel historical sources referring to topography and baths in Chandax have contributed to our research alongside with venetian maps and sketchings. Finally emerges an arab-byzantine city with a densely builted urban territory that continued a long bathing culture.