Historic Istanbul water network traces 19 centuries of engineeri

 

Historic Istanbul water network traces 19 centuries of engineering

Hurriyet Daily News /

Historic Istanbul water network traces 19 centuries of engineering

ISTANBUL

Istanbul’s ancient 55-km stone aqueduct from Belgrad Forest survives today.

An ancient 55-kilometer water network stretching from the Belgrad Forest in Istanbul’s north to the center survives as a cultural heritage site revealing 19 centuries of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman engineering.

The earliest documented water facilities took shape under Roman Emperor Hadrian in 117-138 A.D. The infrastructure expanded in the fourth century via lines, including the Bozdoğan Aqueduct, completed under Emperor Valens in 378 A.D. Constantine the Great later brought water via the Istranca mountains and Çatalca district in northwestern Türkiye.

Architectural Survey Highlights Nineteen Centuries of Istanbul Water Engineering Heritage

 

Architectural Survey Highlights Nineteen Centuries of Istanbul Water Engineering Heritage

Archaeological and architectural surveys have cataloged the survival of a 55-kilometer historical water transmission network spanning from the Belgrad Forest to central Istanbul. Originating in Roman infrastructure initiatives under Emperor Hadrian (117–138 CE) and expanded during the Byzantine period via the Valens Aqueduct, the system reached its structural peak in the 16th century with the Ottoman Kırkçeşme network engineered by Mimar Sinan. The surviving masonry infrastructure includes 33 aqueducts—most notably the Mağlova and Uzunkemer aqueducts—as well as distribution chambers (maksem) that defined the urban topography of neighborhoods such as Taksim.

Source:

• Hürriyet Daily News: Historic Istanbul water network traces 19 centuries of engineering