In 1745, Cyprus was taken away from the hands of a Muhassil due to corruption and was put under the control of a Pasha of Three tails.
From 1746-1748 Abu Bekr pasha constituted a peaceful and beneficial interlude in Cyprus. He was responsible for the most important public work on the island. In 1747 he designed an aqueduct starting from the river Arpera and water springs along the six mile distance to Larnaca and thus supplied the city with water. It cost him over 50,000 piastres. It was carried over three intervening depressions on arcades of fifty, twelve and thirty-one arches.
Flour mills and mulberry plantations were laid on its course. After his death, this property was to go to his sons and then to a vakf by trustees. The work was completed in 1750 but very soon, the aqueduct and all connected with it came to be neglected and Larnaca was again threatened by famine and drought. In the middle of the nineteenth century Governor Mehmet Said Pasha, known to be free from fanaticism and corruption did his best to restore the Larnaca aqueduct which worked for some years and then fell again into decay. Today it is known locally as Kamares (arches).
Watercolours and oils of the Larnaca aqueduct exist on the second floor of the CVAR.
The ‘Did You Know’ series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus).
