An ancient Roman aqueduct in Caesarea has collapsed with one of its arches caving in on the beach. There are photos of it and the Antiquities Authority confirms its true. The aqueduct was originally built by King Herod around 20 BC and was expanded by Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD. It served as a conduit for drinking water that would come from the Carmel region springs all the way to the people of Caesarea. The Director of the Antiquities Authority, said quote, “Luckily, no bathers were killed here. We have been issuing warnings, we have presented documents and plans, we have pointed out that the situation is catastrophic… I believe that now someone will listen.”
The collapsed arch was a part of the section added by Emperor Hadrian nearly 1,870 years ago. This beach area is frequently visited by swimmers.
The director of the antiquities department Preservation unit is now highlighting a different 15 km long aqueduct that goes up to Acco and says this one is actually even more dangerous and should be taken care of.
The Antiquities Authority is calling on the regional council in the vicinity to urgently allocate a budget for the restoration and stabilization of the aqueduct.
