The Aqueduct

The end of our first day out and about in Tunisia; sunset is approaching and a woman is taking her cows and her sheep and goats under the arches of the Roman aqueduct as they head home for the night.

Punic Carthage was served by a single fresh water spring and every house had its own underground cistern to collect and store rainwater. Those important amenities of Roman life, the bath-houses, fountains, latrines and pools required a much more plentiful and dependable water supply. So, following the Roman conquest of the city the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of an aqueduct and it was built between AD 120-131. The aqueduct ran for 90 kms from a spring in the mountains to the city. The spring still produces 18,000 cubic metres of water per day, which is piped along part of the Roman channel to help supply modern Tunis.