The Roman Baths are a tourist attraction and historical place of interest in the English city of Bath. (For Roman baths in general, see Thermae.) They are visitable and very well preserved Roman site of public bathing.

History

The first shrine at the site of the springs was built by Celts, and dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva; however, the name Sulis continued to be used after the Roman invasion, leading to the town's Roman name of Aquae Sulis (literally, "the waters of Sulis"). During the Roman occupation of Britain increasingly grand temples and bathing complexes were built, but after the Roman withdrawal these fell into disrepair and were eventually lost due to silting up. They were rediscovered in the 18th century and, as well as being a major archaeological find, they have from that time to the present been one of the city's main attractions, though the water is now considered unsafe for bathing, due to its having passed through the still-functioning lead pipes constructed by the Romans. The Thermae Bath Spa project aims to eventually allow modern-day bathers to experience the waters for themselves.

External Link

• http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/