Lamas Aqueduct
Encyclopedia
Lamas Aqueduct is a Roman aqueduct
in Mersin Province
, Turkey
coast. The average distance between the coast and the aqueduct is about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). The original aqueduct ends by the ancient Elaiussa Sebaste
(modern Ayaş
). But a supplementary aqueduct reaches to Corycus
(modern Kızkalesi
).
The total length of the aqueduct is more than 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).
in the 1st or 2nd centuries. But after Elaleussia Sebaste lost its former glory, the second part up to Corykos was constructed by a Byzantine Empire
in the 5th or 6th centuries.
. The galleries have windows for maintenance. But most of the watercourse is actually a series of seven aqueducts over the fields and the roads . To ensure a stable flow in the aqueduct the aqueduct has a constant slope between Limonlu River and Corykus. The cross sectional area of the agueduct is about 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) high by 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) wide.
Roman aqueduct
The Romans constructed numerous aqueducts to serve any large city in their empire, as well as many small towns and industrial sites. The city of Rome had the largest concentration of aqueducts, with water being supplied by eleven aqueducts constructed over a period of about 500 years...
in Mersin Province
Mersin Province
The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Geography
The source of the watercourse is Limonlu River also known as Lamas River at an altitude of approximatelly 100 metres (328.1 ft). It is directed to south west in parallel to MediterraneanMediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast. The average distance between the coast and the aqueduct is about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). The original aqueduct ends by the ancient Elaiussa Sebaste
Elaiussa Sebaste
Elaiussa Sebaste or Elaeousa Sebaste was an ancient Roman town located from Mersin in the direction of Silifke in Cilicia on the southern coast of Anatolia . Elaiussa, meaning olive, was founded in the 2nd century B.C...
(modern Ayaş
Ayaş, Mersin
Ayaş, is a Mediterranean coastal town in Mersin Province, Turkey-Geography:Ayaş is a part of Erdemli district which is a part of Mersin Province. It is on the Datça Mersin highway at about . Distance to Mersin is and to Erdemli is . The population is 2391 as of 2010...
). But a supplementary aqueduct reaches to Corycus
Corycus
Corycus was an ancient city in Cilicia Trachaea, Anatolia, located at the mouth of the river called Şeytan deresi; the site is now occupied by the town of Kızkalesi , Mersin Province, Turkey.-The city:...
(modern Kızkalesi
Kızkalesi
Kızkalesi is a town in Mersin Province, Turkey. The town, known in Antiquity as Corycus or Korykos , is named after the ancient castle built on a small island just facing the town.- Geography :...
).
The total length of the aqueduct is more than 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).
History
The first part of the watercourse up to Elaiussa Sebaste was constructed by Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in the 1st or 2nd centuries. But after Elaleussia Sebaste lost its former glory, the second part up to Corykos was constructed by a Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
in the 5th or 6th centuries.
The construction
Part of the watercourse is through open channels or galleries in the peneplane area south of Toros MountainsTaurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
. The galleries have windows for maintenance. But most of the watercourse is actually a series of seven aqueducts over the fields and the roads . To ensure a stable flow in the aqueduct the aqueduct has a constant slope between Limonlu River and Corykus. The cross sectional area of the agueduct is about 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) high by 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) wide.