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.
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