The old church of Agiades

Under this old church in Agiades (waypoint S2-030) one can find the water collecting basin of the aqueduct. This basin “is roughly triangular in shape, as dictated by the natural rock formation upon which it is built, and covered by a roof carried on fifteen square limestone piers. On one side two openings deliver the water from the springs in the rock; facing them a third is the take-off point for the pipeline (aqueduct). It is noteworthy that this is not at floor level but some distance above it. The pipeline could thus run dry while there was still water in the reservoir. The purpose of this arrangement was evidently that the reservoir served not only as a collector to feed the pipeline, but also as a settling tank, allowing particles of earth and other sediment carried in by the water to sink to the bottom. For cleaning out, a drain hole at floor level was provided below the off-take pipe.” (from: Hodge 1992 pag 27)