Damascus is the Gift of River Barada, the ancient Abana (Biblical appellation) or Chrysorrhoas (literally "streaming with gold"). This river gives birth to six branches as it enters the oasis of Damascus via the Rabwa Gorge: two in the north (Yazeed and Tora) and four in the south (Banias, Kanawat, Daranee, and Mezzawee). Three of those branches or canals irrigate the city per se: Tora, Baniasm and the Kanawat. Of those three, the Kanawat Canal is the most important.
The River or Canal Kanawat is therefore the main source of running water to the city of Damascus. It was constructed under the Romans though its current distribution was likely adjusted more than once throughout the last two millennia.
We can follow its course from west to east as it passes at approximately 500 meters south of and parallel to the River Barada heading towards the highest part of the city. It runs through the Hamidiya Casern (later the Syrian University and still later Damascus University) and the Kanawat Street all the way to the city center as well as the quarters located in the south and southeast. On its way to intra-muro Damascus, it gives rise to several distributors before and after the Hijaz Station towards the neighborhoods of Bab Srija & Suwayqa.
The water allocations differ from one quarter another and as a rule diminishes as we head east. Consequently, the Christian & Jewish quartets receive less water than do the Muslim ones and that was interpreted by the German scholars Wulzinger and Watzinger as one explanation as to why were the minorities assigned the areas they currently inhabit. The author cite for example the plight of the Greek Orthodox community that occupied a part of the Madnat al-Shahm neighborhood who had to rely on wells to compensate the lack of running water. Be that as it may, water supply has been prioritized from time immemorial: the most privileged recipients are of course the mosques (first and foremost the Omayyad's) then the public baths. Everyone else would have to compete for the rest according to his status and influence.
Richard Thoumin
Géographie humaine de la Syrie Centrale
Tours
Arnault et Cie, Maîtres Imprimeurs
1936
The River or Canal Kanawat is therefore the main source of running water to the city of Damascus. It was constructed under the Romans though its current distribution was likely adjusted more than once throughout the last two millennia.
We can follow its course from west to east as it passes at approximately 500 meters south of and parallel to the River Barada heading towards the highest part of the city. It runs through the Hamidiya Casern (later the Syrian University and still later Damascus University) and the Kanawat Street all the way to the city center as well as the quarters located in the south and southeast. On its way to intra-muro Damascus, it gives rise to several distributors before and after the Hijaz Station towards the neighborhoods of Bab Srija & Suwayqa.
The water allocations differ from one quarter another and as a rule diminishes as we head east. Consequently, the Christian & Jewish quartets receive less water than do the Muslim ones and that was interpreted by the German scholars Wulzinger and Watzinger as one explanation as to why were the minorities assigned the areas they currently inhabit. The author cite for example the plight of the Greek Orthodox community that occupied a part of the Madnat al-Shahm neighborhood who had to rely on wells to compensate the lack of running water. Be that as it may, water supply has been prioritized from time immemorial: the most privileged recipients are of course the mosques (first and foremost the Omayyad's) then the public baths. Everyone else would have to compete for the rest according to his status and influence.
Richard Thoumin
Géographie humaine de la Syrie Centrale
Tours
Arnault et Cie, Maîtres Imprimeurs
1936
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