Did you know that Mazul Kemer means dismissed or removed from office? The name comes from Arabic. Some old documents call it Mazlum Kemer. It is the first aqueduct of the Halkalı water system. Locals also call it Kemerkeçe. This impressive structure stands as a testament to ancient engineering.
The Mazul Kemer is in Esenler Istanbul. Specifically it sits within the borders of the TSK 66th Mechanized Infantry Brigade Command military zone. This location has helped preserve it from significant damage. Today you can spot it from the TEM highway heading towards Edirne. Look for it before you reach ISTOÇ near the Oto Center.
Water aqueducts have been vital for thousands of years. They have transported water to meet people’s basic needs. Builders often used water bridges for water architecture on different terrains. These aqueducts carried water over valleys and streams. They connected high points with precisely calculated slopes. This careful planning was essential for the water to flow freely.
Mazul Kemer sits in the valley between Mahmutbey and Esenler Atışalanı. This valley is also known as Uzuncaova stream. Many believe it dates back to Roman or early Byzantine times. It carried Halkalı waters to the city.
Construction usually involved clay pipes underground. Sometimes builders carved channels into rocky areas. They used stone brick and mortar to build arched aqueducts. These carried water to its destination.
The Mazul Kemer likely dates back to the 4th century. Perhaps it was built during the reign of Valens around 364 to 378 AD. It underwent repairs in the time of Constantine V around 741 to 775 AD. After the conquest of Istanbul Fatih Sultan Mehmed restored it. It remained in use for many years during the Ottoman period.
The Ottomans recognized the importance of water systems. After conquering Constantinople in 1453 Fatih Sultan Mehmet ordered work on the aqueducts. Remnants of Byzantine aqueducts were still visible. This made it easier to rebuild the water systems. The Halkalı water system included Mazul Kemer. Some recent studies suggest that Mazul Kemer dates to the time of Mehmed II.
The Süleymaniye system also used the Halkalı system. Kanuni Sultan Süleyman added to it to supply the Süleymaniye Mosque. This system could provide 1000 cubic meters of water per day. The Beylik system only used Mazul Kemer. The Süleymaniye system used the Avasköy and Ali Paşa aqueducts as well. Sultan Mustafa II restored the Bozdoğan Aqueduct. Ahmed III his successor also repaired the Halkalı water lines.
The Mazul Kemer has two levels. It is made of limestone. The upper level has 13 arches. The lower level has 7. Some of these arches are damaged. Others show signs of various alterations. The aqueduct also contains remnants of three levels of baked earth pipes.
The Mazul Kemer stretches about 111 meters. The top stands approximately 80 meters above sea level. A 1584 map by Davud Ağa shows that the Topkapı Palace received water via this aqueduct since the time of Fatih Sultan Mehmed. Fatih used Mazul Kemer to transport water. Mahmud I later reinforced it. He transformed the water carried here into Beylik Water.
The pipes of the Süleymaniye aqueducts also passed over this aqueduct. Kazım Çeçen first surveyed the aqueduct. This survey provided the main dimensions of the structure.
The aqueduct’s entrance is on the right bank of the Uzuncaova Stream. The spans of the 13 arches varied. Later supports narrowed the openings of some arches. These supports also had varying thicknesses. New arches sit lower than the original arches.
Kazım Çeçen believes these changes occurred after the conquest. The newly discovered spring waters were lower than the original aqueduct arches. To avoid damaging the downstream section new arches were built.
In 1991 remnants of three pipes at different levels were visible on Mazul Kemer. Two of these pipes likely belonged to the Beylik and Süleymaniye aqueducts. The third may have been related to a slide. All three pipes ran close to the downstream face of the aqueduct.
In the late Roman period a gallery ran near the source side of Mazul Kemer. The exit of this gallery is visible on the left bank. This gallery likely carried water in the late Roman period. It is unclear if a second gallery existed on the downstream side before Ottoman repairs. The changes made during Fatih Sultan Mehmed’s time involved a detailed structural analysis. The Süleymaniye aqueducts completed in 1557 also ran below the original arches. This suggests that the repairs happened earlier during Sultan Fatih’s reign.