How did Sennacherib bring water to Nineveh?
To provide water for irrigation and the city's needs, the Assyrian king Sennacherib engineered an extensive water management system that diverted water from the hills north of Nineveh to the Khosr River.12
Key components of this system included:
* Canals: Sennacherib constructed a stone-lined canal approximately 50 miles (80 km) long and 66 feet (20 meters) wide to transport fresh water from Bavian to the city. An elaborate network of 18 canals was eventually developed to supply the region.34
* Aqueducts: To cross valleys, such as the one at Jerwan, his engineers built massive stone aqueducts. The structure at Jerwan was constructed using approximately two million blocks of limestone and featured pointed archways.2
* Advanced Engineering: The system utilized sophisticated techniques, including a dam with sluice gates to regulate water flow and the use of cement containing magnesium to seal the canal bed on the aqueduct.23
These technological achievements allowed Sennacherib to maintain lush gardens and parks around his capital, even when the Tigris and Khosr rivers fell too low.12