Ancient water cistern discovered at UNESCO site

KARABÜK

An ancient water cistern, originally built to meet the water needs of the area, has been unearthed in the northern province of Karabük's Safranbolu district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A historic tunnel structure was uncovered during construction work for a new school on Ata Street in the Yenimahalle neighborhood. Upon notification by construction workers, authorities launched an investigation. Research revealed that the structure was, in fact, a historical cistern constructed in the past to supply water to the region.

Local researcher Cemil Belder stated that the structure had long been known, but the school construction brought it back into public attention.

“The cistern tunnel uncovered beneath the Zati Ağar School is actually something we have known about for years. However, the school construction has revealed a section of it, a historical heritage of us,” he said.

Belder noted that the tunnel was once part of a system that transported water to various parts of Safranbolu. “This structure is actually a small segment of a historic water channel system that carried water from Bağlar to the Kıranköy area,” he explained.

Speaking about the structural features of the cistern, Belder said, “The water cistern tunnel system can vary depending on the topography of Safranbolu, but in general, it lies about 3.5 meters below ground, includes walkways about 160 centimeters tall and has corridors nearly 50 centimeters wide. In some parts, water channels run alongside the walkways.”

He also noted that there is no data on the exact date of construction. “In order to accurately date historical structures, we would need inscriptions or records in historical foundation documents referencing their construction or restoration years. Since no such documentation or inscriptions have been found, it would be incorrect to propose a definitive date or era for the cistern tunnel network based solely on its architectural features,” he said.

Belder added that the structure has strong architectural similarities to Roman-era examples. “Due to its architectural characteristics, we can say that similar structures frequently appear in the Roman period. For instance, in the neighboring town of Çaycuma in Zonguldak, we know that a water supply system running from a cave to the ancient city of Tios, dating back to the Roman period, included cistern tunnels and aqueducts just like this. The cistern tunnel found here is almost identical in construction. Similar examples can be found not only across Anatolia, but even in Europe, and specifically Spain,” he said.

Belder also expressed his amazement at the cistern's ongoing functionality. “One remarkable feature of this water cistern tunnel is that, despite partial collapses and some sections being closed off, water still flows in the direction of the incline. It is astonishing that the water system remains functional after all this time,” he said.