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Beneath the starry Athenian night sky, movie enthusiasts gather at a modern outdoor theater, blissfully unaware that they are perched atop a marvel of engineering from Roman Athens - a reservoir nearly 2,000 years old.
Emperor Hadrian recognized Athens' increasing water demands during the second century CE and ordered a grand project to bolster the city's water supply. In 125 CE, construction commenced on an aqueduct that stretched over 12 miles, commencing at Mount Parnitha and culminating at the base of Mount Lycabettus, where a monumental reservoir took shape.
This aqueduct was a remarkable feat of engineering, primarily an underground channel hand-carved through solid rock. By the year 140 CE, it had become Athens' most ambitious infrastructure project to date.
Hadrian's Reservoir stands proudly at the western foothills of Mount Lycabettus. The pipes originating here supplied water to the area's residents for over a millennium. The structure featured a propylon, adorned with four Ionic columns and an architrave carrying a dedication to Hadrian and his successor, Antoninus Pius, under whose reign the project was completed.
However, during the Ottoman Empire's occupation, the reservoir fell into disuse, with most residents relying on wells for their water needs. Although efforts to restore the aqueduct commenced in 1847, it eventually ceased to serve as a primary water source after the construction of the Marathon Dam in 1929.
Today, Hadrian's Reservoir no longer provides drinking water. A fraction of its waters still find their way to the end, only to flow directly into the sewer. What remains of the site are fragments of the steps and two column bases, along with a portion of the architrave, now housed in the National Gardens.
If you plan to visit, you'll find the reservoir located in Dexameni (Reservoir) Square, beneath Cinema Dexameni. While access inside the reservoir building is limited, ample viewing portals on the western walls offer an excellent glimpse of the interior.
On January 6, the Epiphany, the Greek Orthodox tradition of the "Blessing of the Waters" takes place annually in front of the reservoir. During this ritual, the reservoir is opened, and the water is blessed by a priest who immerses a cross in the water and then sprinkles followers with the now-sanctified water.
Should you wish to view the remaining section of the architrave, it can be found in the National Gardens, near the Children's Library.
