Publication Date
6th-10th / 12th-16th centuries
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;32;ar
Library Location
Along the Orontes River, Hama, Syria
Date
6th-10th / 12th-16th centuries
Notes
Waterwheels (singular waterwheel) are ancient water structures designed to collect and distribute water using the force of water flow. It is the distinctive visual and audio landmark of the city of Hama, located 226 km north of Damascus, and crossed by the Orontes River. The use of waterwheels in Syria dates back to the Classical and Hellenistic period and even to the Nabataean period (2nd century BC - 2nd century AD), and the first prostration of a waterwheel is found on a piece of mosaic from the ancient city of Apamea, located 55 km north of Hama, dating back to the year 469. During the medieval period, references to waterwheels increased significantly in geographical writings, which indicates their development and increase. During the period Seljukids, and under the rule of the Atabegs, Zengids and Ayyubids, when the Syrian cities witnessed great urban development, Hama received special attention from Nur ad-Din Mahmud ibn Zengi, who rebuilt it after the earthquake in 551 / AD 1157, and his work included the restoration of the water system and the waterwheels. The oldest waterwheels that are still standing date back to the Ayyubid period (late sixth-seventh / eleventh-twelfth centuries), while the oldest The waterwheels with inscriptions on their tower, known as Muhammadiyah, date back to the Mamluk period in 763/1361. It is also one of the two largest waterwheels in the city, with a wheel diameter of 21 metres, and a channel height of 17.5 metres. The waterwheel of Muhammadiyah is long because it supplies water to the Al-Kabir Mosque, which is about 1 km away from the bank of the Orontes River. As for the second waterwheel, its wheel diameter is also 21 m, and it is known as the errand, and dates back to the early Ottoman period to the year 867 / 1453. The waterwheels usually consist mainly of two parts: the movable wheel, which is usually made of poplar wood, and the fixed channel, which is usually made of stone. The water wheel consists of a group of wide wooden columns installed vertically around the axis, creating a quadrilateral formation in the center, extending radially towards the outer circumference of the wheel. The columns are linked together by circular frames supported by other columns fixed with nails at successive angles. On the outer sides of the wheel, paddles are installed that facilitate the movement of the circular wheel, and boxes that collect water. Since the waterwheel is generally made of wood, its columns need constant maintenance and replacement every about 15 years. Stone structures, such as the canals that transport water, and the small dam that controls the river’s water level, are part of the waterwheel construction. The channel is a long rectangular collecting container that extends parallel to the wheel, and is designed to be wide enough to receive the largest amount of water during rotation. Connected to this canal is a long canal carried on arches that serves the surrounding areas and supplies them with water for domestic use and irrigation. In general, the waterwheel can raise 50 liters of water per second and irrigate more than 75 hectares.
Sample Text
Waal Hafian “The Waterwheels of Hama” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;32;ar
