Canalizations of Zenobia

The Canalizations of Zenobia or El Kanat are canals that according to traditions, were built by Queen Zenobia to channel water from the Orontes river in the Anti-Lebanon mountains to Palmyra.[1] Remains of the ruins of the canals can be seen in places around Lebanon.[1]

One of the canals is suggested to originate from a mountain near Labweh extending to Qusair.[2] The other extends from the village of Chawaghir, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of Hermel.[3] The canals were cut out of solid limestone bedrock to a depth of 20 metres (66 ft) with wells approximately every 100 metres (330 ft).[4]

The traditional suggestion that the canals were originally constructed during the brief reign of Zenobia has been treated as probable by Michael Alouf, who notes the existence of canals traces in the desert.[1]

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