News item as posted now at Swiminfo.com:
650 year old swimming pool discovered in Cairo...
F.I.N.A. officials angrily deny rumours that they were scouting the facility for next Masters' Worlds, asserting that official measurements would have to be made...but refused to rule out the possibility.
Former Member
I found this short article on the history of swimming pools. Looks like the Romans built swimming pools around 1900 to 2000 years ago: "The first heated swimming pool was built by Gaius Maecenas of Rome in the first century BC. " It was from the Romans that we got the word, natatorium. I assume they didn't have chlorine or ozone back then, so I wonder how they kept it from becoming a stinky stagnant mess.
The Romans actually had indoor plumbing...
I imagine that keeping the pools clean wasn't an issue. Their achievements were amazing! In fact, I forget which book I read it in, but there was an emperor who loved to swim and had "poolzilla" (I'll call it) built. Yes, to us swimmers having an immense pool wouldn't be too weird, but to the rest of the public that probably ranked right up there with Nero naming his horse Consul of Rome!
Originally posted by DAP
"The first heated swimming pool was built by Gaius Maecenas of Rome in the first century BC. " ... so I wonder how they kept it from becoming a stinky stagnant mess.
Depends on how the pool was heated. If they let a lot of kids in to "warm it up", then I think you answered your own question. :p
In a related note, they also found evidence that the first recorded evidence of "pool rage" occurred 650 years ago. I didn't catch all the details, but heard something about a lap swimmer and a noodler.
Well, having a pool in Cairo as someone said wasn't that farfetched. The muslems had conquered the Byzantine Empire which came from the Roman. So, plumbing in that part of the world probably still existed
