Valens Aqueduct (Bozdogan Kemeri)

Little now stands of the great aqueduct, but what remains is a splendid example of Roman architecture. A large road now runs underneath the arches of the aqueduct, making an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

This is an impressive piece of Roman engineering that allowed water to be sent into Constantinople. It is rather off the beaten track but worth the short walk from the main sites of the city

I wouldn’t suggest going hugely out of your way to visit, but definitely worth a small diversion if you are in the area. It’s impressively large and intact.

The Valens Aqueduct is one of the largest structures of Istanbul; it is 0ver 3,000 feet long and 98 feet high. It took 28 years (345 - 373 AD) to build the Valens Aqueduct System and latest research on the aqueduct has suggested that - with its branches - it was 208 miles long, nearly three times longer than the known length of any Roman water supply. The Valens Aqueduct was repaired and restored many times both in Byzantine and Ottoman periods, and it functioned almost 1400 years until the 18th century. There is a really nice park by the aqueduct on Attaturk Boulevard and it offers a nice vantage point for some photos of the aqueduct. It's easy to catch a bus to see the Aqueduct of Valens and then move on to see pieces of the Walls of Constantinople / Theodosius. Then, along the bus route hop off and do some walking to other sites that aren't too far from both of these. The aqueduct is a little walk from the nearest bus stop - but not far.

Very good but a little hard to find. It is a marvelous piece of Roman engineering and amazing that it is still standing. Well worth the effort to find and have a look.