Gadara Aqueduct, Roman aqueduct tunnel system between Dille, Syria and Umm Qais, Jordan.
The Gadara Aqueduct is a Roman water system stretching about 170 kilometers through Syria and Jordan with both above-ground sections and underground tunnels. It was built to transport water across vast distances to multiple cities and provided the essential resource to entire regions.
Construction of this water system began during Emperor Trajan's reign in the 2nd century as an ambitious project to supply multiple cities. It shows how the Roman Empire extended its power across vast territories while achieving remarkable engineering feats.
The water system connected several ancient settlements and made it possible to build Roman bath complexes and public buildings throughout the region. It shaped how people lived together and how communities depended on each other for basic services.
The tunnel sections follow a gentle downward slope that allowed water to flow continuously along the route. Visitors should know that only certain sections are accessible today and most parts of the ancient route are difficult to reach on foot.
The system contains an underground tunnel of about 94 kilometers, which is one of the longest known tunnel constructions from ancient times. This remarkable achievement shows the skill of Roman engineers who accomplished such complex projects without modern technology.
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