THE WATER SUPPLY OF CONSTANTINOPLE
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home page project acknowledgements Fieldwork Photo Album Project Bibliography Reports from 1994 onwards 3d visualisation of the water supply system Fieldwork Methodology Geology, Hydogeology and the Water Supply of Constantinople Channels and Aqueducts from the springs around Halkali Channels and Aqueducts in the Forest of Belgrade Water Supply and Distribution in Constantinople Major Water Bridges on the Aqueduct System The Longest Roman Aqueduct Go To Anastasian Wall Pages Intoduction to the Water Supply Project historical overview of the development Contantinople's water supply Dynamic Navigation Map


WATER BRIDGES
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Major Aqueduct Bridges

In Roman water supply systems, aqueduct channels generally followed the sides of valleys between the source and destination, maintaining a shallow downward gradient. When subsidiary valleys were encountered the channel would follow the contour into the valley, then cross to the other side by means of a specially-constructed bridge.

Many aqueduct bridges survive in the forested central areas of the system, where their remoteness has aided their preservation. Around 60 have been identified along the 250km line, and 19 of these are more or less in tact. From our studies of the topography we can probably suggest that at least another 40 bridges are unaccounted for. Most are single tier, but there are five 2 tier bridges and one or possibly two with three tiers.

Balligerme Aqueduct
Ballıgerme Aqueduct Bridge

 

The bridges provide significant archaeological evidence for complementing our understanding of the system, since they can provide the most tangible evidence for deducing the chronology of the system and the logistics of its construction:

  • Studies of these bridges have enabled us to distinguish between the two major early phases of construction in the water supply system and several later phases of repair.

  • Springs at the heads of minor valleys potentially provided additional catchments of water. These were often tapped and subsidiary channels fed into the aqueduct channel at the bridge crossings, for example at Kurşunlugerme.

  • Masons often inscribed their "signitures" or distinctive marks in various places across a bridge they had worked on. We can study the re-occurrance of such "mason's marks" and begin to reconstruct working patterns.

  • Several aqueduct bridges of a 5th-century construction phase were decorated with crosses, christograms, monograms and other symbols, particularly on the keystones of the arches. These images clearly not intended merely as decoration, since the bridges were so remote no one would ever see them. We therefore believe that these symbols had an apotropaic function and served to repel evil, thus protect the bridge from disasters such as earthquakes.
 Kursunlugerme Bridge
Kurşunlugerme Aqueduct Bridge

In this section:

Kurşunlugerme - a massive and well preserved three-tier bridge near to the Anastasian Wall. This bridge was built to carry channels of both the high and low-level systems on its second and third tiers. It was built in the 5th century and like other bridges of this phase carries an extensive range of incredible relief symbols.

Büyükgerme - a substantial two-tiered bridge spanning a wide, open valley. Like Kursunlugerme it was built in the 5th century to carry the lower-level channel. Substantial later repairs have been noted.

Ballıgerme - the "Grand Central Station" of the system where the channels from Vize and Danamandira converge but continue at different elevations. Although it is also one of the most treacherous and innaccessible sites, it is nevertheless highly significant for the overall comprehension of the system.

Talas

Elkafdere - a small and remote single-arched bridge which we discovered in 1998. It bears a remarkable inscription attesting to repairs by a Prefect of Constantinople in the 6th century.