Hi,
We visited Mei Kedem t, to celebrate my birthday and to entertain the kids before our family end of summer vacation in Caesarea water center.
The site is inside Alona Park and hosts part of the ancient water system built in the 3rd and 4th centuries to provide to the growing city of Caesarea and the agriculture fields around it.
The water were carried from Tzabrin spring here, 23 km away by underground tunnels, aqueducts, clay pipes and canals. This a magnificent work of engineering that took advantage of the topography and geology of the route.
Today there is a new water project by Israel Water Company, Mekorot, called 聽Nahlei Menashe (Menashe streams). The project is collecting flood and springs water and forward them (through closed and opened tunnels) to be subsidence to aquifer in a lake near Caesarea.
It seems it is not only the way the Roman built their water systems (as the rest of their construction projects) but also the idea behind them is still relevant to this days.
Take Care
Gad
The entrance gate to Mei Kedem
Before you walk in the water – a short movie about the place
And a map of the water system from Tzabrin spring to Caesarea
Tzabrin spring from above
The entrance to the second shaft
Going down to the underground tunnel in the second shaft
In this place the builders decide to built the underground tunnel than to keep digging in the rock
The way up on the fourth shaft (if you wish to go out here, instead of going all the way to the 7th shaft)
Walking in the underground tunnels. Just look on the sides and top of the tunnel – how accurate the dimensions.
The 7th shaft exit from above
Each shaft in the site is surrounded from above with the circular walls
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