Water Management
‘The upkeep of cisterns in caravanserais was essential for travellers, merchants and pilgrims.’
Knowledge of land irrigation allowed Arab rulers to expand their jurisdiction to the Mediterranean. The upkeep of cisterns in caravanserais was essential for travellers, merchants and pilgrims, and canals were carved through the desert to irrigate the land. Mechanical constructions were built along the rivers, and wells were exploited to help distribute the water further a field.
Norias (nawa'ir) of Hama

Hegira 6th–10th century / AD 12th–16th century
Atabeg, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman
Hama along the Orontes River, Syria
In the city of Hama, norias (pl. nawa'ir) raised water from the River Orontes to supply urban institutes, such as mosques, madrasas, and public gardens.