Old Nicosia aqueduct, 18th-century aqueduct in Nicosia, Cyprus.
The stone aqueduct runs through the city with eleven arches built using precise construction techniques that remain visible today. The system was designed with a gentle slope to move water efficiently across the urban landscape.
It was built in 1796 by Silahtar Mustafa Aga to bring water from mountain sources to the city. The project came at a time when the Ottoman Empire was modernizing water systems in its urban centers.
The structure shows Ottoman architectural influence and engineering methods that connected different parts of the walled old city and still shapes how people move through these areas today.
The best way to see it is by walking the streets in the city center where different segments of the aqueduct remain visible. It is easier to visit early in the morning or late afternoon when the streets are less crowded.
When buildings were demolished in recent decades, long-hidden sections of the aqueduct suddenly became visible, revealing additional arches that had been concealed. These discoveries show that the system was larger than previously understood.
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