The "great bath" is without doubt the earliest public water tank in the ancient world. The tank itself measures approximately 12 meters north-south and 7 meters wide, with a maximum depth of 2.4 meters. Two wide staircases lead down into the tank fr… >
A general view of the "Great Bath" and adjoining rooms. In the background is a massive brick structure referred to as the "Granary". Built on top of a tapered brick platform this building had a solid brick foundation that extended for 50 meters east… >
The Great Bath is situated along a north-south street with a drain covered with limestone blocks. In the background is the so-called Granary, while in the foreground are the walls of several domestic structures. >
The great bath surrounded by a brick colonnade, measures approximately 12 meters north-south and 7 meters wide, with a maximum depth of 2.4 meters. In the background is a massive brick structure with narrow passages that was first identified as a ha… >
The Great Bath was entered using two wide staircases, one from the north and one from the south. The floor of the tank is watertight due to finely fitted bricks laid on edge with gypsum plaster. Brick colonnades were discovered on the eastern, north… >
At the foot of the stairs is a small ledge with a brick edging that extends the entire width of the pool. People coming down the stairs could move along this ledge without actually stepping into the pool itself. Small sockets at the edges of the sta… >
The side walls of the tank were constructed with finely fitted bricks and a thick layer of bitumen (natural tar) was laid along the sides of the tank to keep water from seeping through the walls and up into the superstructure. >
The tank would have been open to the sky, but the surrounding structures would have been roofed. The sidewalls and parts of the floor have been conserved using modern replica bricks. The original eroded wall and corner are visible on the left and ce… >
At the southwestern corner of the sloping floor, a small drain first passes through the massive walls of the tank and connects to a corbelled arch drain that curves along the edge of the northern terrace of the granary to the west. >
