Aqueduct of Valens

The Aqueduct of Valens cuts across the city with two tiers of heavy stone arches that span the valley between the hills of ancient Constantinople. Emperor Valens finished this water system in the late fourth century to supply the growing population with fresh water from the Belgrade Forest. When the city suffered a massive drought in the year three hundred sixty-eight, workers repurposed marble blocks from the walls of Chalcedon to complete the structure and restore the flow of water to the imperial palaces.