Just some two kilometers off the main road surviving pieces of an ancient aqueduct may have fed into the lost Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The muddy road is only for off-road vehicles. The aqueduct is part of the larger Atrush Canal built by the Assyrian king Sennacherib between 703 and 690 BC to water Ninevah’s extensive garden. Water is diverted from Khenis gorge, 50 km to the north. It was constructed of over two million dressed stones and used stone arches and waterproof cement. Some consider it the world’s oldest aqueduct, predating anything the Romans built by five centuries.
To our surprise, the ruins were “occupied” by friendly Zilfo (زلفو) family members. We spent there a few hours chatting and enjoying tasty homemade food and tea.
Parking location – Jerwan 36.669067N 43.395363E (🚻)