Ein Koby, Natural spring in Jerusalem District, Israel.
Ein Koby is a natural spring near Jerusalem with an underground chamber system built by ancient people to collect water. The network includes arched ceilings and a shaft that extends to an open pool.
The site dates to the Roman-Byzantine period when people built sophisticated water systems. Later, an Ottoman-era structure was built above it, featuring a prayer niche oriented toward Mecca.
The spring reveals how past communities managed water for farming, channeling it through tunnels to pools beyond the chamber walls. This system shows the ingenuity of builders who adapted their methods to the local landscape.
Access is via stairs descending into the underground chamber, where light enters through an opening in the roof. Wear comfortable shoes and watch your footing on the uneven surfaces inside.
A vertical shaft roughly 17 meters deep connects the underground chamber to a surface pool that once served as a ritual bathing facility. This connection between depth and surface shows how creatively ancient builders designed their water systems.
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