Every year, with the onset of spring, residents of the strategically located town faced the problem of floods. Over time, overflows of river waters descending from the Amanus Mountains caused floods, and a significant amount of sediment made it difficult for the active work of the port.
Emperor Vespasian solved this problem by ordering to turn the course of the river that passed through the center of Pieria. Engineers developed a project for the construction of a dam and a canal, however, its implementation was complicated by the presence of a huge rock in the way of water drainage.
But this did not prevent the authorities from carrying out the planned plan. At the behest of the emperor, it was decided to cut an artificial tunnel, consisting of two sections, right through the rock. The bulk of the workers employed in large-scale construction were Jewish prisoners, driven here by troops from Jerusalem, taken by storm.
