1700-year-old water tunnel found in Adıyaman
A 1700-year-old Roman water tunnel was found in Besni district of Adıyaman.
Citizens who saw a historical structure in the countryside of Adıyaman’s Geçitli Village reported the situation to the Museum Directorate teams. Museum Director Mehmet Alkan, who examined the work carried out by the teams in the region, told reporters that a 150-meter-long water tunnel was discovered.
Stating that the tunnel was built during the Roman period and is approximately 1700 years old, Alkan said:
“As a result of the examination we made in the necropolis, settlement area and mound of the Roman period located in the southern part of Geçitli Village, we detected a 150-meter-long water tunnel. In our examinations here, we saw a water tunnel with a low entrance part and rising towards the middle parts. The tunnel belongs to about 1700 years ago.”
Stating that the tunnel was built by piercing the mountain to deliver water to the fields on the other side of the village, Alkan said, “We discovered that this tunnel was built to deliver the water at the high level of Sofraz Stream to the fields on the other side of the village. We saw what a magnificent view this tunnel has and that it was built with a very magnificent workmanship.”
Inviting tourists here, Alkan said, “This is a very valuable water tunnel for Adıyaman. We welcome all local and foreign visitors here.”
Village Headman Abdullah Güllü said that he entered the tunnel for the first time. Mukhtar Güllü shared his experiences in the tunnel and said, “The tunnel enters from the Sofraz Stream side and exits from the other side. It is a bit narrow at the first entrance, but as it progresses, there are places that reach 2 meters in height. We knew it was there before, but we were hesitant to enter it. It was exciting to enter and examine it with the teams.”
