Euphrates Tunnel

The Euphrates Tunnel was allegedly a 929 meter long tunnel built to connect the two halves of the city of Babylon;[1] archaeologists believe it was built between 2180 and 2160 BCE.[2] Construction began with a temporary dam across the Euphrates river, and proceeded using a "cut and cover" technique.[1] The tunnel was supposedly lined with brick and waterproofed with asphalt.[1][3] No other sub-aqueous pedestrian tunnel was attempted until Marc Brunel built the Thames Tunnel beginning in 1824 CE.[1] A description of the tunnel as being built and used by Queen Semiramis is given by Diodorus (fl. 50 BCE) in the Bibliotheca Historica.[4] Philostratus (d. 250 CE) also describes the tunnel's construction in the Life of Apollonius of Tyana.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Berlow, Lawrence (April 22, 2015). Reference Guide to Famous Engineering Landmarks of the World: Bridges, Tunnels, Dams, Roads and Other Structures. Routledge. p. 54.
  2. ↑ Browne, Malcomn W. (December 2, 1990). "Tunnel Drilling, Old as Babylon, Now Becomes Safer". New York Times.
  3. ↑ Diodorus Siculus. "Library of History: Book II, Paragraph 9".
  4. ↑ Rennell, James (1800). The Geographical System of Herodotus, Examined; and Explained, by a Comparison with Those of Other Ancient Authors, and with Modern Geography. London: W. Bulmer and Co. p. 356.
  5. ↑ "A tunnel in Babylon under the River Euphrates". Antiquitatem. August 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ MacFarlane, Charles (1830). The Armenians: A Tale of Constantinople, Volume 2. Istanbul (Turkey): Saunders and Otley. p. 297.

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