Valens Aqueduct

This double-tiered Roman aqueduct strides across a valley in the heart of the old city, its arches carrying a busy road beneath them today. Completed in the late fourth century under Emperor Valens, it formed the culmination of a vast water system bringing supplies from distant hills to the cisterns of Constantinople. Repaired repeatedly through both Byzantine and Ottoman times, its grey limestone spans reach around twenty metres at their tallest. Framed by nearby mosque domes, it is among the most recognisable Roman survivals in the city.