Kamares Aqueduct

Kamares Aqueduct, also known as the Bekir Pasha Aqueduct, is an aqueduct near Larnaca, Cyprus. Located outside the city, near the old road to Limassol, it was built starting in 1747. Tassos Mikropoulos has described it as the most prominent water supply built in Cyprus.[1]

Larnaca, Cyprus, aqueduct known as Kamares.
Detail of the aqueduct.

History

The aqueduct was financed by Ebubekir Pasha (also known as Koca Bekir Pasha or Abu Bakr Pasha) who was the Ottoman Governor of Larnaca.[2] The structure was in operation until 1939 and consists of 75 arches.[2][3][4]

The construction of the aqueduct commenced in 1747 and was completed in 1750, costing a total of 50,000 qirsh which was paid by Ebubekir Pasha.[2] Foreign travellers have often counted it as one of the most important monument constructed during the Ottoman period in Cyprus. In 1754, Alexander Drummond noted that:

For the honour of Bekir Paşa I must communicate an instance of the old gentlemen’s public spirit. While he was Paşa of this land, in the year 1747, he formed the noble design of bringing water from the river at Arpera, and occasional springs on the road about six miles from hence, to supply the people of Larnaca, Salines and the shipping. A work worthy of great and good man, which might have cost him above fifty thousand piasters of six thousand pounds.[5]

Larnaca, Cyprus, the aqueduct known as Karmares, general view in 1973 before modern developments in the area.

References
  1. Michael, Kappler & Gavriel 2009, 147.
  2. Mikropoulos 2008, 147.
  3. Li & Duan 2006, 50.
  4. Dubin & Morris 2002, 87.
  5. Drummond 1754, 252.

Bibliography
  • Drummond, Alexander (1754), "Travels Through Different Cities of Germany, Italy, Greece, and Several Parts of Asia etc.", in Cobham, Claude Delaval (ed.), Excerpta Cypria: Materials for a History of Cyprus, General Books LLC, ISBN 1-154-94001-2.
  • Dubin, Marc; Morris, Damien (2002), The Rough Guide to Cyprus, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-863-0.
  • Li, H.; Duan, Zhongdong (2006), Structural Health Monitoring and Intelligent Infrastructure, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-415-39652-2.
  • Michael, Michalis N.; Kappler, Matthias; Gavriel, Eftihios (2009), Ottoman Cyprus: A Collection of Studies on History and Culture, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, ISBN 3-447-05899-4.
  • Mikropoulos, Tassos A. (2008), Elevating and Safeguarding Culture Using Tools of the Information Society: Dusty traces of the Muslim Culture, Earthlab, ISBN 960-233-187-9.
  • Yıldız, Netice (1996), "Aqueducts in Cyprus", Journal for Cypriot Studies (2/2): 89–111.
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