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North African Qanat Irrigation

Type Object Region North Africa Time c. 700

North African qanats (locally called khettara, foggara, or qanat) are an irrigation technique that conveys groundwater from mountain areas to oasis f…

Timeline

  1. c. 700–1000Maghreb oasis belt · AlgeriaAfter the Arab conquest of North Africa, Persian and West Asian qanat underground water-diversion techniques spread to the Maghreb, where they were adapted into khettara systems in gravel geology, enabling oases such as Tafilalet and Tuat to develop palm groves and grain fields.
  2. 1071–1080Sijilmasa–Draa River valley oases · MoroccoDuring the Almoravid unification of the Maghreb, oasis relay stations on trade routes such as Sijilmasa relied on khettara irrigation to maintain agricultural output and population, providing fodder and water for camel caravans; qanat systems were one of the material foundations of the trans-Saharan trade network.
  3. 1801Moroccan oases · MoroccoIn modern times Morocco and other places have restored and protected ancient khettara systems; some irrigation networks are still used in oasis agriculture, serving as living remains for studying the spread and sustainability of hydraulic technology in the Islamic world.

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