Water and Everyday Life
‘The city of Fez in Morocco was supplied with water by public fountains, called sikaya.’
From the 6th / 12th century onwards the city of Fez in Morocco was supplied with water by public fountains, called sikaya. The form of these fountains has been consistent over the centuries. In a recessed broken arch set in a wall and covered in zellij, or glazed ceramic tiles, the water issues from spigots into a basin.

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Basin

Hegira 751–7 / AD 1351–6
Marinid
Batha Museum
Fez, Morocco
A hemispheric, fluted basin on a pedestal; the opening at the base befits its function as a fountain for use in the ablutions hall of the Buinaniya Madrasa in Fez.