Amid the scant ruins of Seleuceia in Pieria , is this this astonishing feat of Roman engineering. From the ticket kiosk, follow the trail along an irrigation canal and past some rock shelters, finally arriving at a Roman arch spanning the gorge and the tunnel entrance. Bring a torch as the path can be slippery. At the far end of the channel an inscription provides a date for the work carried out by sailors and prisoners from Judea.
Seleucia lived under the constant threat of flooding from a stream that descended from the mountains and flowed through the town. To counter this threat, 1st-century Roman emperors Titus and Vespasian ordered that this 1.4km-long channel be cut through the solid rock to divert the stream.
About 100m from the tunnel are a dozen Roman rock tombs with reliefs, including the excellent Beşikli Mağarası (Cave with a Crib).
The tunnel and remnants of Seleuceia, Antioch's port in ancient times, are in the village of Çevlik, 5km northwest of Samandağ.
