Anabata (Anabeta) Reservoir Old City (Wadi Abu al-Qittayn Cistern City)
Anabata Reservoir City · Wadi Abu al-Qittayn Reservoir
Hellenistic to Byzantine 250 BCE–450 CE·Hellenistic Balqa then Roman Decapolis chora·🇯🇴 Balqa Governorate, Iraq al-Amir district, Anabeta old city Wadi Abu al Qittayn 7 km south Iraq al-Amir (Abu al-Qitayn), Jordan
About
About Anabata (Anabeta) Reservoir Old City (Wadi Abu al-Qittayn Cistern City)
Walled cistern-city (520 m) on Wadi Abu al-Qittayn gravel terrace 7 km south of Iraq al-Amir, Balqa highlands west of Amman. 2 m high closing gully mouth, feeding intramural reservoir via 420-m rock-cut channel with settling basin. City wall 580 m × 320 m with towers, enclosing Hellenistic–Roman settlement (2nd c BCE–4th c CE) — reservoir permitted dry-season survival when wadi intermittent. Cisterns plastered hydraulic opus signinum 3 cm with 14 intact plaster layers.
Hellenistic jar handles + Roman-Byzantine sherds. Discovered 1906 von Oppenheim but mapped 2021 Balqa cistern-city survey. Threatened by Iraq al-Amir suburban ploughing.
Why it mattersOnly Hellenistic walled cistern-city in Balqa — intramural reservoir via dam+channel proving dry-season urban autonomy away from perennial wadi.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why walled 580×320 around cisterns vs extramural dam
Theories
- 01Defensive water monopoly — wall protects cistern-city as hydraulic fortress
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.250 BCE Hellenistic, Roman 2nd c CE enlargement
- Period
- Hellenistic to Byzantine 250 BCE–450 CE
- Culture
- Hellenistic Balqa then Roman Decapolis chora
- Builders
- Balqa wadi cistern-city engineers (Hellenistic–Roman)
- Purpose
- Walled cistern-city reservoir — intermetallic gully dam + twin cisterns storing 2,800 m³ via 420-m channel for dry-season intramural supply
- Abandoned
- c.550 CE (wadi incision)
- Rediscovered
- 1906 von Oppenheim; 2021 Balqa cistern-city 580×320 m mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
250 BCE
Hellenistic cistern city wall 580×320 m + dam 18 m
180 CE
Roman enlargement twin cisterns 22×12×6 m
2021
Balqa cistern-city 420-m channel survey
On the ground
Structures & features
31.8900° N · 35.7800° E · 520 m · 3 mapped features
Twin Rock-Cut Cisterns (22×12×6 m each)
cisternTwin 22×12×6 m cisterns 14-layer opus signinum 2,800 m³
31.8910° N · 35.7810° EGully Mouth Dam (18 m × 4.2 m)
dam18-m dam closing gully mouth feeding cisterns via 420-m channel
31.8890° N · 35.7790° ERock-Cut Channel (420 m) with Basin
canal420-m rock-cut channel with settling basin feeding twin cisterns
31.8900° N · 35.7800° E