Sijilmâsa (Morocco): The Urbanism of a Medieval islamic Site as seen through its Hydraulic System (8th-13th centuries AD) (original) (raw)

THE ANCIENT HYDRAULIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF WĀDĪ EṢ-ṢADER NEAR

The Ancient Hydraulic Infrastructure of Wādī eṣ-Ṣader near Petra, Southern Jordan, 2019

Intensive investigations of the archaeological remains at agricultural sites and water springs may provide a wealth of information. The remains, recently revealed in the vicinity of eṣ-Ṣader spring 3 , inspired the authors to investigate the area in and around Wādī eṣ-Ṣader. These explorations have enhanced our knowledge about the importance of this spring in the lives of the inhabitants of Wādī Moūsā as early as the Nabataean period. The existing archaeological evidence in this region, which will be discussed in this paper, includes remains of Nabataean terracotta water pipelines as well as Islamic water mills. In addition, the paper includes a discussion on some of the ancient toponyms either mentioned in the Petra archive and other place names which are of Aramaic origin. The latter indicates that these were used when Aramaic was the lingua franca in the region during the Na-bataean period. Additionally, the inherited water traditions in the study area are presented in an attempt to trace their historical origin. Finally, the importance of terrace cultivation in this region through ages is also highlighted.

The Ancient Hydraulic Infrastructure of Wādi eṣ-Ṣader near Petra, Southern Jordan

Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 2019

Intensive investigations of the archaeological remains at agricultural sites and water springs may provide a wealth of information. The remains, recently revealed in the vicinity of eṣ-Ṣader spring 3 , inspired the authors to investigate the area in and around Wādī eṣ-Ṣader. These explorations have enhanced our knowledge about the importance of this spring in the lives of the inhabitants of Wādī Moūsā as early as the Nabataean period. The existing archaeological evidence in this region, which will be discussed in this paper, includes remains of Nabataean terracotta water pipelines as well as Islamic water mills. In addition, the paper includes a discussion on some of the ancient toponyms either mentioned in the Petra archive and other place names which are of Aramaic origin. The latter indicates that these were used when Aramaic was the lingua franca in the region during the Nabataean period. Additionally, the inherited water traditions in the study area are presented in an attempt to trace their historical origin. Finally, the importance of terrace cultivation in this region through ages is also highlighted.

Management Techniques of Ancestral Hydraulic Systems, Nasca, Peru; Marrakech, Morocco; and Tabriz, Iran in Different Civilizations with Arid Climates

Water

The research aims to evaluate various management techniques of Ancient Hydraulic Systems (AHS) in different civilizations in arid climates, in cities located in Nasca in Perú (Puquio), Marrakech in Marruecos (Khettara) andTabriz in Irán (Qanat). The scarcity of water resources in these areas compelled the inhabitants to seek water management solutions to meet the necessary water supply for the population at the time. The methodology employed was a case study in which climatic data, supply, and operation of AHS were analyzed. The different indicators studied resulted in findings that, in the case of Nasca, the system relied on lintels, utilizing robust materials such as stone. They employed geometry to control water flow velocity, inclined walls to prevent collapses, and terraces to facilitate access to underground galleries. In the cases of Tabriz and Marrakech, their systems were based on excavations and reinforcements primarily using clay and earth as materials. In conclusion, the...

The Most Advanced Hydraulic Techniques for Water Supply at the Fortresses in the Last Period of Al-Andalus (Thirteenth to Fifteenth Century)

Arts, 2019

Due to the conflicts that existed among the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages, the territories of al-Andalus were protected with defensive architecture that played an influential role on the landscape. The development of these fortresses was necessarily linked to water, either because of the strategic control of a hydraulic resource or because of the need to provide to inaccessible places, as it is often the case of the emplacement of these constructions. The study of their implantation in the territory and the hydraulic elements that they preserve has revealed quite diverse systems of water supply. This paper presents the comprehensive overview that emerged after verifying that many of the existing cisterns, rather than being autonomous and isolated elements, as has often been considered, are strongly related to the organization and development of the fortresses, sometimes located at the end of complex and advanced hydraulic networks, closely linked to the to...

Fantastic Fountains and Where to Find Them: A Re-examination of the Textual and Material Evidence on Liquid Architecture from the Medieval Islamicate World

Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World

Tracking the circulation and exchange of ideas, models, and technology in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages allows for easier comparison between cultural systems, and although different, were not kept in sealed boxes. This is undoubtedly the case with zoomorphic fountains in Byzantium and the Islamicate Mediterranean. Much has been written on the history of fountains from varying perspectives, resulting in literature that is comprehensive and diverse. However, this contribution uniquely employs sources never used before, including poetry, tales from The Arabian Nights, and other fantastic literature, to understand better fountains and their zoomorphic fountainheads, and present a fresh perspective on the subject.

Irrigation in the Medieval Islamic Fayyum: Local Control in a Large Scale hydraulic System

Because of the unique set of sources available, the Fayyum in Middle Egypt offers a unique case study of large-scale irrigation from antiquity to the Islamic period. A close reading of a cadastral survey of the province from 641/1243-4 shows that the distinctive aspect of the Islamic period was the local control of water supply and management. Drawing on the engineering experience of the villagers, water allocation and management in the gravity-fed canals of the Fayyum were in the hands of iqṭ āʿ holders and tribal groups along the main canals, a pattern similar to that which pertained in mediaeval al-Andalus.