Pl.: Gymnasia

In the Greek-Hellenistic world, the gymnasium was an athletic training ground where the male youth was also educated. It evolved from an open space to an enclosed exercise court with surrounding classrooms and fountain houses. In some larger cities, the gymnasium also had basic washing facilities. During the Roman period in Asia Minor, the gymnasium merged with the public bathhouse, forming a specific architectural type usually referred to as bath-gymnasium. In Egypt, the term is also used to designate a bathhouse.