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During the Mameluke period, the earlier aqueducts (from the Roman period)
were renovated and rebuilt; they channeled water from Solomon's Pools to
Jerusalem. A description of the renovations undertaken by the Emir Tankiz
is given by Mujir ed-Din (1495): "He is responsible for the construction
of an aqueduct which brought water to Jerusalem. The work began on August 20,
1327, and the water reached the city and flowed into the midst of the Noble
Sanctuary on March 13, 1328. At the same time a marble basin was made
between the el-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock; we also owe the bathhouse at the Cottonmakers' Gate to the energy of the same emir."
 The Sultan Qaytbay constructed the eastern pool of Solomon's Pools, as described by the traveler Felix Fabbri, who visited the site between 1480-1484: "Above these pools, opposite the mountains, we saw more than six hundred heathens digging and working in order to bring fresh water to the residents of Jerusalem... the sultan is trying to bring the water to Jerusalem, at great expense, with tremendous labor, with wise counsel, and with many sophisticated and cunning devices... Moreover, he is rebuilding the ancient water channels and repairing many reservoirs for the storage of rainwater, and spares no effort, no cost, and no labor to provide water for the holy city of Jerusalem. All are astounded at the sultan's plans for Jerusalem, that he wastes so much money and does so much in order to bring water to the city." |
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