Terme Arabe di Cefalà Diana
Islamic and Norman-era thermal bath near Cefalà Diana, fed by a hot spring, with a Kufic inscription and brick basins.
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About the museum
The complex stands at the foot of Monte Chiarastella, near a hot spring with a temperature between 35.8 and 38 degrees. The exploitation of the spring dates back to the first half of the 10th century; between the second half of the 10th and the early 11th century a ḥamma, a thermal bath that used the natural heat of the water, was built.
In the Norman period, between 1140 and 1141, Roger II transformed and monumentalised the building with a new north entrance, a three-arched wall and a new axial organisation of the spaces; an inscription on the outside attests the patronage. After a slow abandonment in the 13th century, at the beginning of the 14th century a fondaco (inn) and a horizontal-wheel mill were installed. In the mid-18th century Baron Niccolò Diana, founder of the present village, rebuilt the vault in calcarenite, reorganised the basins and added two entrances.
The building is a compact parallelepiped with walls about 1.60 metres thick; on the west, north and east sides runs an inscription in Kufic characters, painted white on a red background. Inside, a wall with three arches on marble columns divides the space into a vaulted room with the spring and a basin to the south, and three brick-lined basins to the north.
Highlights
- Islamic-era thermal bath with Norman extension
- Inscription in Kufic characters along three sides
- Three-arched wall on marble columns
- Hot spring and brick basins
Permanent exhibition
- Terme Arabe – Visit to the thermal building with the spring hall, the brick basins and the Kufic inscription on the external walls.
- Operated by
- Parco archeologico di Himera, Solunto e Iato (Regione Siciliana)
- Visitors per year
- approx. 6,476
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €250% reduction for citizens of the European Union aged 18 to 25 (regional park rules) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for under-18s under the regional rules. |
Free admission: First Sunday of the month under the regional rules for archaeological parks.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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