Three "rivers" -"streams" would perhaps be a more appropriate appellation- contribute to watering the famous Ghouta, the population density of which is the highest in Syria. We have Menin in the north, al-Awaaj in the south, and Barada in between, the last being by far the most important of them all.
Shortly before entering Damascus at the Rabwa Gorge, Barada gives rise to its first "fan" of canalization: the Yezid and Tora on the left bank, and the Mezzawi, Darani, Qanawat, and Banias on the right.
Just after it exits the city, Barada emanates its second "fan": the Akrabani Canal (really a continuation of Banias that runs north of the Citadel adjacent to the ancient city's wall heading east), the Mlehi's, and the Daaiani's. Those three canals subsequently divide into the third "fan", an innumerable network of brooks each one of which named after the village that constitutes its final destination. The "Zor" is the basin of Barada itself; it is the lowest and most fertile part of the oasis. Qanawat & Banias provide the city with water. The rest (Mezzawi, Darani, Tora, Yezid) irrigate the surrounding lush gardens.
The distribution is minutely arranged using the "Qirat", a ubiquitous system in the Near East that divides proportionally, a Qirat being 1/24 of the whole. The reason is quite simple: the amount of water available may vary widely from one season to the next, making the allocation of a fixed amount of water an impossible feat. The man in charge of supervising the canals, maintaining them, opening and closing the distributors is called "Shawi", a profession -like many others- passed from father to son.
Finally, there were no maps or historical documents of any worth detailing this canalization system right until the era of the French Mandate. All available info were oral and handed from one generation of "shawis" to the next.
Jacques Weulersse
Shortly before entering Damascus at the Rabwa Gorge, Barada gives rise to its first "fan" of canalization: the Yezid and Tora on the left bank, and the Mezzawi, Darani, Qanawat, and Banias on the right.
Just after it exits the city, Barada emanates its second "fan": the Akrabani Canal (really a continuation of Banias that runs north of the Citadel adjacent to the ancient city's wall heading east), the Mlehi's, and the Daaiani's. Those three canals subsequently divide into the third "fan", an innumerable network of brooks each one of which named after the village that constitutes its final destination. The "Zor" is the basin of Barada itself; it is the lowest and most fertile part of the oasis. Qanawat & Banias provide the city with water. The rest (Mezzawi, Darani, Tora, Yezid) irrigate the surrounding lush gardens.
The distribution is minutely arranged using the "Qirat", a ubiquitous system in the Near East that divides proportionally, a Qirat being 1/24 of the whole. The reason is quite simple: the amount of water available may vary widely from one season to the next, making the allocation of a fixed amount of water an impossible feat. The man in charge of supervising the canals, maintaining them, opening and closing the distributors is called "Shawi", a profession -like many others- passed from father to son.
Finally, there were no maps or historical documents of any worth detailing this canalization system right until the era of the French Mandate. All available info were oral and handed from one generation of "shawis" to the next.
Jacques Weulersse
Paysans de Syrie et du Proche-Orient
Copyright Librairie Gallimard 1946
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