Thuburbo Majus - Summer Baths

Thuburbo Majus had two sets of baths, the Winter Baths (Thermes d'Hiver) and the Summer Baths (Thermes d'Eté). The Winter Baths, to the east of the Palaestra, were apparently much altered and rebuilt, and their layout is more difficult to follow. The Summer Baths, southwest of the Palaestra, covered an area of 2,800sq.m/30,000sq.ft and - as the statues of Aesculapius, Hercules, Mercury and Venus and the fine mosaics now to be seen in the Bardo National Museum demonstrate - were sumptuously furnished. The entrance, on the side facing the Palaestra led into the apodyterium (changing room), frigidarium (cold bath, with three basins), tepidarium (warm room), sudatorium (sweat bath) and caldarium (hot room). On a stele is carved the town's coat of arms: an ear of corn, a bunch of grapes and a pine-cone. On the northwest side of the baths is a semicircular latrine 11m/36ft in diameter.