Roman Structures > Aqueducts > Aqueduct of Zubaida

Aqueduct of Zubaida

Located in the secluded river valley between Mansourieh and Hazmieh are the remains of a little-known Roman aqueduct.During the Roman period, with the expanding urbanization of Beirut, the demand for running water outgrew the capacity of the existing wells and springs. The solution was to get water from one of the springs located along the Beirut River. The nearest spring was the Daychounieh source, situated 20 km southeast of Beirut. The Roman architects built a water channel to convey this water across the Beirut River and transport it onwards to Beirut.It was built over an arched, bridge-like structure known today as 'Qanater es-Sett Zubaida' (The Arches of Mistress Zubaida) .[3] The aqueduct consisted of a series of arches of which only a small number remains on the sides of the river .[4] It was built in 273 AD, during the reign of Roman emperor Aurelian and was also used as a way station for the Roman military in Lebanon .[5] The name Zubaida can be identified with the famous al-Zabba'/Bat-Zabbai/Zenobia of Palmyra, who may have built it. It can also be associated with Princess Zubaida, wife of caliph Haroun ar-Rashid. Curiously, another Roman aqueduct on the Nahr Ibrahim (Adonis river) bears the same name.

Roman Aqueducts

Roman Aqueducts List

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