Sensational Discovery: Ottoman-Era Water Cisterns Found Intact In Israel

Water cisterns dating back to the times of the Ottoman Empire have been discovered beneath the old Shaare Zedek hospital complex on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem during the course of excavations at the site, reported israelnationalnews.

Underground cisterns for collecting and storing rainwater runoff from roofs and courtyards were a vital part of the infrastructure in Jerusalem in previous centuries. It was already known that a number of large cisterns had been built in the area, as they were mentioned in the original plans of the hospital dating back to the 19th century, but according to israelnationalnews, there were no details provided as to their size or precise location.

Preservation work is ongoing at the site, in preparation for new construction there, and it was recently decided to remove the dust and rubble from the ancient parts of the structures, to see what condition the cisterns were in. Radar equipment was brought in to assist in the work, to map out the underground area, and to enable the digging to proceed in a manner that would not damage the structures, which were covered with a thin layer of concrete upon which was soil and vegetation. After the cisterns were located, the team working at the site entered the cisterns using ropes, in order to take measurements and assess the condition of the cisterns.

What they found were two large hollows, each one around 12 meters (36 feet) long and around 7 meters (21 feet) wide, and at least 6 meters (18 feet) high. The cisterns were found intact, including the plaster coating, and included an area with beams in the ceiling in three cross-vaults, which are commonly found in Roman and Gothic architecture.