Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA-The waterwheels of Hama are considered one of the most prominent archaeological and tourist attractions in Syria, as they sway on the banks of the Orontes River with continuous movement to add a special charm to the place, forming an engineering masterpiece and a stunning natural artistic painting that reflects unparalleled beauty and is a window into a civilization steeped in history.
As for the history of the waterwheels of Hama, engineer Rama Turkawi, director of the Old City of Hama City Council, told SANA’s reporter that some hypotheses return them to the Aramaic era, that is, before 7000 BC, and some to the Roman era, stressing that the oldest picture of the waterwheel is found in a mosaic painting dating back to the fourth century BC. It was found in the ancient city of Apamea and is located today in the garden of the National Museum in Damascus.
Turkawi added that the waterwheel consists of a large wooden wheel that rotates due to the river’s current. Wooden boxes called “buckets” or “rooms” are mounted on this wheel. When the wheel rotates, these buckets are filled with water from the river, then their load is emptied into an upper channel called “Al-Sakia.” Among these are Al-Sakia; Water flows through branching canals and canals to irrigate the city and its agricultural lands.
About the function of the waterwheel, Turkawi went on to say that it carries water to a level higher than the level of the river to make it easier to benefit from, given the low course of the Orontes River in the lands of Hama below the level of the basin through which it flows, stressing that the waterwheel was the best means that man had access to in Syria for more than two thousand years. It rotates a full cycle every twenty seconds, giving 2,400 liters of water.
Turkawi said that parts of the waterwheel include the center, the cusp, the secondary and main arms, the secondary and main circle, and then the frame, which is boxes for carrying water and consists of several sections, including the plate and the dome.As for the wood used in making the water wheel, Turkawi elaborated that each section used a special type of wood in its construction. The core is made of walnut wood, and the second sections use apricot and pine wood, all of which are flexible wood, so that the water wheel maintains its flexibility.
As for the arms , they are made of long poplar wood. Regarding the economic, tourism and heritage importance of waterwheels, Turkawi affirmed that they played a fundamental role in the agricultural economy in the past because they were a means of irrigating lands and were a source of energy to operate mills and presses, which contributed to revitalizing the commercial and industrial movement, indicating that with the passage of time their role as a means of irrigation decreased, except three which are still irrigating the orchards of the city of Hama and operate on water power without electricity or fuel, and the “Dahsha and Qaq” waterwheels are currently irrigating the orchards. “The waterwheels constitute a distinctive tourist destination that attracts visitors and tourists from all over the world,” she added.
As for the most prominent waterwheels in the city of Hama, Turkawi said that they include Al-Qaq, Al-Dawalek, Al-Khadura, Al-Dahsha, Al-Jabariya, Al-Kilaniyya, Al-Mamuriyah, Al-Jasiriyah, Al-Bashrayyat, and Al-Muhammadiyah.
They are among the largest and most massive waterwheels, with a diameter of 21 meters and seventy centimeters, the number of their boxes is 120, their weight is about 500 kg, and they rotate a full cycle every twenty seconds.
She pointed out that the waterwheels that are still standing in the city include 24 waterwheels, 19 of which are still working. Outside the city, there are 111 stone waterwheels without a wooden wheel, starting from Rastan until the Orontes River that enters the Al-Ghab Plain in the village of Al-Asharna, stressing that many efforts have been made to preserve them. The waterwheels of Hama are constantly maintained and restored.
In turn, Yara Shartouh, Director of Hama Tourism Department, said that the waterwheels constitute a symbol of an ancient civilization that is unique to the city of Hama, which made it a distinctive tourist landmark, especially since it is located on the banks of the Orontes River and surrounded by picturesque green spaces, in addition to its distinctive roaring sound, which prompts tourists and visitors to visit it and take a souvenir photo next to it.
Shartouh added that the waterwheel is not just water machines, but an important cultural and historical symbol that embodies human creativity and interaction with nature.
“They are also considered one of the most important tourist attractions in the city of Hama, in particular, and Syria in general, and witness the continued visit of tourist and student groups to see the greatness of this edifice. They are also distinguished by their importance. they historic, as many ancient studies related to antiquities are being conducted on it. They also considered an open-air museum that tempt visitors with the pleasure of climbing their stone stairs and jumping over them to dive into the river,” Shartouh added.
Yahya Zaza, a worker in the maintenance of waterwheels in Hama and the manufacture of waterwheels designated for decorating parks and tourist facilities, said “I have been working in this profession for more than 40 years. I am also an employee of the Waterwheels Authority in Hama, which is responsible for their maintenance work, as we constantly work to rehabilitate them and fix their defects so that they can perform their role as they should.”
“My work includes manufacturing decorative waterwheels for farms and tourist facilities, with sizes ranging from 50 cm to 3 meters, made of several woods. I am currently teaching my children this profession to preserve them from extinction,” Zaza added.
Sukaina Mohammad/ Translated by Mazen Eyon
