In the center of Istanbul, where the busy Atatürk Boulevard crosses the historic Fatih district, an astonishing structure rises up. Lanes of traffic pass beneath the ancient arches of a powerful construction built long before the fall of Rome. This is the Aqueduct of Valens — a silent witness to sixteen centuries of city history and one of the most underrated monuments of the metropolis.
Where Did the Water in the City Come From?
Today we simply turn on the tap to drink water, but for ancient Constantinople, water was a matter of survival. The city stood on a peninsula surrounded by sea, and there was a catastrophic shortage of drinking water. In summer, temperatures exceeded 30 degrees, springs dried up, and wells could not supply the growing population.
Emperor Constantine the First realized: a grand system was needed. The nearest large source of fresh water was in the Belgrade Forest — 20 kilometers from the city. How to deliver water across hills and valleys? The answer had been born back in Ancient Rome — aqueducts.
Construction began under Constantius the Second and was completed in 373 AD under Emperor Valens, whose name the aqueduct still bears. For its time, this was an engineering breakthrough that allowed the metropolis of the ancient world to exist and grow.
Architecture That Outlived Empires
The Aqueduct of Valens, in Turkish Bozdoğan Kemeri, meaning "Aqueduct of the Gray Falcon," is a powerful two-tiered arched structure made of stone and brick. Its original length exceeded one kilometer; today about 920–970 meters remain. It reaches a height of 29 meters, and its foundations go 5–6 meters deep.
Take a closer look at the masonry. The builders used limestone, tuff, boulders, and brick, creating the characteristic Byzantine "stitching." The lower tier consists of massive arches up to 4 meters wide, while the upper tier features more elegant ones added later. There are approximately 86 arches in total, some of which were restored by Ottoman masters.
Legend has it that stones for construction were taken from the walls of ancient Chalcedon — a city on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus. Lead pipes were laid along the top of the aqueduct, through which water flowed into the city until the mid-19th century.
History of the Aqueduct of Valens
During the Byzantine period, the aqueduct was repaired and expanded multiple times. In 626, it was cut by the Avars during the siege, and water supply was only restored 130 years later under Constantine the Fifth. The last Byzantine emperor to care for the aqueduct was Andronikos the First Komnenos in the 12th century.
After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed the Second did not destroy the ancient structure but incorporated it into the new water network. The Ottomans understood the strategic importance of water. It continued to flow to Topkapı Palace and other parts of the city.
In the 16th century, the great architect Mimar Sinan, by order of Suleiman the Magnificent, carried out a major reconstruction. He strengthened the structure, added reinforcements, and created a project supplying water to 40 fountains in the Kırkçeşme district. The last major Ottoman restoration took place in 1696–1697 under Sultan Mustafa the Second — commemorated by an inscription on the aqueduct itself.
The Legend of the Emperor`s Death
A mystical story is associated with the aqueduct. It is said that when workers were dismantling the walls of Chalcedon for stone, they found an ancient slab with a prophecy: the emperor would die the moment the aqueduct became fully operational. Ironic fate — Valens indeed perished in battle against the Goths near Adrianople just as the system was finally completed.
The Aqueduct of Valens Today: Between Past and Future
In the 20th century, part of the aqueduct was demolished during road widening, but later restored with support from UNESCO. Today it is not just a monument but a living part of the city. Beneath its arches runs busy Atatürk Boulevard, with cars passing directly under the 1600-year-old structure.
Important Information for Visitors:
The Aqueduct of Valens is located on Atatürk Boulevard in the Fatih district, between Istanbul University and Fatih Mosque. You can reach it by metro M2 to Vezneciler station, then a five-minute walk, or by tram T1 to Laleli‑Üniversite stop, then a ten-minute walk.
The aqueduct can be visited at any time of day, with free admission. The best time to visit is at sunset, when the lighting comes on and the ancient stones turn golden tones.
Sidewalks and rest areas have been set up beneath the arches — you can approach the supports, examine the ancient masonry, and take unique photos against the backdrop of city traffic.
The aqueduct is conveniently located for walking tours of the historic center. A five-minute walk away is Şehzade Mosque — one of Mimar Sinan`s early masterpieces. A bit further is the magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque complex, also built by Sinan.
Good panoramic views of the aqueduct can be seen from Istanbul University and Fatih Park. Nearby is also Vefa Bozacısı — a legendary cafe serving the traditional drink boza. It`s an excellent place to end your walk. Very close by you can also find a lesser-known but interesting monument from the Roman era — the Column of Marcian.
In Culture and Art
The Aqueduct of Valens can be seen in iconic films: "Taken 2" flashes by in chase scenes, and panoramas in "Skyfall" capture the surroundings. In the game Assassin`s Creed: Revelations, you can walk across it and climb to the top — the developers meticulously recreated Ottoman Istanbul.
Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, in his book "Istanbul: Memories and the City," writes about the aqueduct as part of his childhood visual landscape — a symbol of bygone Constantinople that Turks long ignored but which stubbornly remained in the urban fabric.
A visit to the Aqueduct of Valens won`t take much time but will give you an important sense of the city`s depth. It`s an ideal stop between visiting the Süleymaniye and Fatih mosques or on the way to Istanbul University. This is the only such well-preserved Roman aqueduct in Turkey.
