The Turkish city of Samandag is home to one of the ancient Roman architectural wonders - a striking structure known as the Titus Tunnel. It is considered the largest man-made tunnel in the world (1,380 meters), originally built as a water channel. Today the canal is dry, but it is still worth admiring the ancient skills of Roman builders and engineers.
During the reign of Emperor Vespasian (AD 69-79), the Romans of the port city of Antioch (present-day Antakya) decided to divert the streams descending from the mountains and threatening the harbor.
Legionnaires, sailors and prisoners were ordered to cut a channel through the rock for about 1.4 km. The construction of the tunnel began in the 1st century AD and continued under the leadership of Vespasian's son Titus and his successors.
The Chitus Tunnel consists of several sections and a hydraulic system based on the determination of water surface levels through step-by-step integration.
The tunnel is considered a Roman engineering marvel because it was cut through solid stone in a relatively short period of time and the labor of the workers was a challenge. This is an example of how the ancient Romans were able to be creative in solving the problem of flooding.
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According to the inscription, the tunnel was not completed until the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161):
"Divine Vespasian and Divine Titus did it."
The impressive masterpiece of Roman engineers has survived to this day without much damage.