Cisterns
Significant historic "cisterns" (Large Covered Reservoirs) where they can be visited.
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Agrigento | A cistern was found near the rear (west side) of the Temple of Hera/Juno. | |
| Al Zubarah | Excavations have revealed a large cistern for storing water. (AB ev) | |
| Amphitheater of El Jem | "One can still see there a very elaborate system of recovery and channeling of rainwater as well as cisterns for the water supply of the building but also of the whole of the city." (wiki fr) | |
| Ancient Merv | at Beni Makhan Mosque | |
| Ancient villages of Northern Syria | Relatively sophisticated hydraulic elements have been identified, notably large communal cisterns. (AB ev) | |
| Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque | two terminal 16th century square cisterns, which provided water to the key complexes in Zempoala (AB ev) | |
| Assisi | "The remains of the Forum include the base of the temple with the access doors to the vestibule, a monumental cistern, a podium with the seats for the judiciary, and a small tetrastyle temple dedicated to Castor and Pollux." | |
| Bagerhat | The quality of the infrastructures - the supply and evacuation of water, the cisterns and reservoirs, the roads and bridges - all reveal a perfect mastery of the techniques of planning and a will towards spatial organization. (unesco website) | |
| Berat and Gjirokastra | A large cistern in the centre of Berat Castle | |
| Biblical Tells | ||
| Brimstone Hill Fortress | Three underground water cisterns | |
| Caceres | "the five-nave reservoir with three bays, incorporated into the Casa de las Veletas in the 16th century" | |
| Caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin | ||
| Cidade Velha | Fortaleza Real de São Felipe | |
| Cilento and Vallo di Diano | Remains of cisterns in Velia | |
| Danube Limes | Carnuntum (ID No 31): The camp was supplied with fresh water via running wells, cisterns and draw wells located along the main roads. The tribune houses each had their own wells, up to 6 m deep. Between two of the officers' houses, one came across a slightly sloping brick concrete pavement. Along its longitudinal axis, three cisterns with bevelled edges collected rainwater flowing down from the roofs. | |
| Delos | Several, including "the Xenon (94), an hotel with an enormous cistern and the Theater (95) with the impressive cistern (97)" (official website) | |
| Dougga/Thugga | "it possesses a remarkable assemblage of public buildings, most of them dating in their present form from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD - .., public cisterns" (AB ev) | |
| Fort Jesus | "The fortress included facilities such as a chapel, a cistern, a well, and the Captain’s house, but among these only the cistern and an L-shaped building survive." (AB ev) | |
| Fortifications of Vauban | Two cisterns to hold rain water are part of the fortified town of Longwy | |
| Hegra | some 200 cisterns of various shape and size (nom file) | |
| Island of Patmos | Under the monastery (nom file) | |
| Istanbul | Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayı). Next to Hagia Sophia. Was built during reign of Justinian I | |
| Kairouan | Aghlabid Cisters are inclused in Zone III of the inscription | |
| Konso | water reservoirs - Hardas (AB ev) | |
| Kunta Kinteh Island | Kunta Kinteh Island: "a large stone cistern for collecting rainwater was built up against the outside face of the curtain wall." (AB ev) | |
| Longobards in Italy | Castelseprio-Torba: "Along the Southern side of the basilica of San Giovanni is a large rectangular cistern dating back to Late Roman times. This was probably built to collect and use water from the roof of the church (...)." (Nomination file, p. 150) | |
| Mapungubwe | On top of Mapungubwe Hill | |
| Masada | "To the early phase (c 35 BCE) belong ... several large cisterns, .." (AB evaluation) | |
| Matera | ||
| Mazagan | Manueline (late Gothic) Cistern in the fortress | |
| Medina of Sousse | Sofra cisterns | |
| Meknes | "Within are the palace with its ... water storage cisterns" (unesco website) | |
| National History Park | Sans Souci | |
| Necropolis of Bet She'arim | The Sih cave was used as a water cistern during the British mandate period (AB ev) | |
| Old City of Jerusalem | The Herodian road which ran alongside the Temple Mount, includes ancient cisterns | |
| Panamá | "Ajibe" reservoir at Panama Viejo | |
| Paquimé | The House of the Wells takes its name from the large storage cistern (now backfilled for reasons of safety) in one of its plazas that was fed from the common network (AB ev) | |
| Pasargadae | Pasargadae is also home to a complex water supply system for the time that comprises cisterns, tunnels, underground canals, and ducts, which are locally known as qanats | |
| Persian Caravanserai | "many caravanserais had cisterns (either in the courtyard or outside the building)" (AB ev) | |
| Petra | Um al Beira (Mother of Cisterns) receives it name from a series of water cisterns that are found on the top of the mountain | |
| Qalhat | southern extra-muros cistern (AB ev) | |
| Rani-ki-Vav | Stepwells are a type of cistern: "Stepwells (also known as vavs or baori) are wells, cisterns or ponds with a long corridor of steps that descend to the water level." (wiki) | |
| Risco Caido | troglodyte cisterns (AB ev) | |
| Rome | Excavations underneath the area of the Trevi Fountain | |
| Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil | ||
| Sceilg Mhichíl | Water cisterns, near the Hermitage (2020-30 Mgt Plan) | |
| Seville | Alcazar | |
| Siena | ||
| Sintra | Moorish Cistern at Castelo dos Mouros | |
| Stari Grad Plain | ||
| Syracuse | Euryalus Castle: "Inside there are three large cisterns for the troops' water supply in the case of a siege." (Nomination file, p. 123) | |
| Talayotic Menorca | "As for cisterns, these have been documented inside houses and outside them. Many of them have a piriform cross-section, but others seem to have been repurposed from old burial hypogea from previous times". (Nomination file, p. 109) - Component C5: Torre d'en Galmes has "one of the best examples of the unique water culture associated with Talayotic settlements, with a range of different elements and artefacts, such as a sophisticated water catchment system, wells or decanting pools and cisterns dug out of the rock." (Nomination file, p. 145) – Cornia Nou "offers good examples of storage systems from different periods, including some spectacular cisterns." (Nomination file, p. 156) | |
| Uxmal | At Uxmal and Kabah | |
| Via Appia | Cisternoni di Albalonga | |
| Wartburg Castle | The centre of the lower courtyard is occupied by a cistern. | |
| Xochicalco | ... includes a large rainwater cistern that formed part of a complex water system covering the whole settlement (AB ev) |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Cisterns?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
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- Be explained, with reference to a source