The Water Temple

About

The Water Temple was built around the 2nd century by the Romans as a grand fountain connected to the Zaghouan Aqueduct. The 132 km long aqueduct was one of the longest in the Roman Empire, built to supply water to Carthage after a five-year-long drought in North Africa. The Water Temple was built around the spring that supplied the aqueduct’s water. Standing on a platform, twelve niches housed a statue representing the 12 months in a year, with a functioning temple at the center. Below this platform, a figure-8-shaped basin filtered the spring water before feeding it into the aqueduct.