Aghlabid Basins - Kairouan, Tunisia
Posted by: 
Becktracker
N 35° 41.195 E 010° 05.734
32S E 599131 N 3949738
Two enormous medieval water basins which used to act as a water supply for the city of Kairouan
Waymark Code: WM13K7G
Location: Tunisia
Date Posted: 12/30/2020
Views: 2
The basins are so large that they can be seen from a height of 80 km above the earth (almost from space!).
from islamicart.museumwnf.org:
The Aghlabid reservoirs, of which only two survive, were part of a group of about 15 reservoirs, located outside the city walls, which supplied the town with water. They are considered to be among the most important hydraulic works of the Muslim world. They provoked the admiration of travellers and led to the town being given the name 'city of the cisterns'. They were filled by draining rainwater as well as water from the tributaries of the wadi Merguelli, which flow in the surrounding lowlands. Its waters were harnessed by small dams and a conveyance canal which transported it to the small pool. In 350 (961), the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz built an aqueduct that brought water from the Shreshira springs, located 40 km to the west of Kairouan.
These two reservoirs were built using the same method. They are constructed of rubble and surfaced with a waterproof coating. The walls are consolidated by internal and external buttresses which alternate, thus providing maximum resistance against the water pressure. These buttresses are semi-cylindrical in shaped and topped with semi-spheres, combining aesthetics with technical performance.
They are composed of three main sections:
– The small reservoir measures 17 m in diameter and is reinforced by 17 internal and 26 external buttresses. Its holding capacity is 4,000 cubic metres. It is a filtering basin which receives the untreated water and rids it of most of the debris that it carries before decanting it into the large reservoir.
– The large reservoir is circular in shape, measures 128 m in diameter and is 4.8 m deep. Its holding capacity is 57,000 cubic metres. No less than 182 buttresses were needed (118 external and 64 internal) to contain the pressure and guarantee the viability of the project, which was to store enough water for the needs of daily life in the town. A squat poly-foil pillar rises up from its centre. Formerly surmounted by a dome, it was used as a leisure pavilion.
The water travels from here into two parallel dispensing water-tanks set perpendicular to the reservoirs. They are covered with barrel vaults held up by arch-beams that rest on pillars. Six openings at the top of the vaults allow the water to be drawn.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
9-18h
Admission Prices:
free
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Less than 15 minutes
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
The attraction’s own URL: Not listed
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