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Greek Tunnel in Samos, a Curious Island You’ll Want to Visit or Live in the Future or Not
The Tunnel of Eupalinos is A Masterpiece of Ancient Engineering.
And part of it is open to the public.
It’s a very interesting construction story for us civil engineers.
The Tunnel of Eupalinos or Eupalinian aqueduct is a tunnel of 1,036 m (3,399 ft) length running through Mount Kastro in Samos, Greece, built in the 6th century BC to serve as an aqueduct.
Eupalinian aqueduct
Inside the Eupalinian aqueduct.
The Eupalinian aqueduct was designed and built in 550 BC by the engineer Eupalinos from Megara when Samos was ruled by tyrant Polycrates.
In the 6th century BC Samos was ruled by the famous tyrant Polycrates.
During his reign, two working groups under the lead of the engineer Eupalinos dug a tunnel through Mount Kastro to build an aqueduct to supply the ancient capital of Samos with fresh water.
Why underground? It was not easily detected by an enemy who could otherwise cut off the water supply.
Eupalinos’ tunnel is particularly notable because it is the second earliest tunnel in history to be dug from both ends in a methodical manner. With a length of over 1 km (0.6 mi),
Eupalinos’ subterranean aqueduct is today regarded as one of the masterpieces of ancient engineering. The aqueduct is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Pythagoreion.
The Pythagoreion is the archaeological site of the ancient town of Samos in Samos, Greece. It is located in the area of the modern town of Pythagoreio, from which it has got its modern name.
Where is Samos? It’s a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, separated from Turkey by the mile-wide Mycale Strait.
Samos was the birthplace of mathematician Pythagoras and philosopher Epicurus, and is known for producing the Muscat wine.
