Historical waterway in Patara

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The Patara Waterway

On your way back to Kalkan turn left at the entrance of "Yeþilköy" (the large village after the Patara junction). The dust road climbing to the South will lead you to one of the engineering masterpieces of antiquity: The Patara Waterway (Delik Kemer).
The aqueduct stands 10 meters high, built in typical Lycian masonry with large pentagonal stones. A closed hose type waterway, formed by hand-carved hollowed rock blocks is supported by this structure. The system, called a siphon, crosses the valley, which avoided having to construct an enormous aqueduct raised to the same level. It is worth the trouble to climb up to the top to see details like the vertical holes to reduce pressure, the precision of the fittings, etc. A beautiful plunging view of the Mediterranean can be enjoyed from the top of the aqueduct (2.7 km from the main road and well worth a visit despite the poor condition of the road).