Wrong

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Afladsch irrigation system
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
Falaj at al ain.jpg
Wrong with al-Ain
National territory: OmanOman Oman
Type: Culture
Criteria : (v)
Surface: 1456 ha
Buffer zone: 16,404 ha
Reference No .: 1207
UNESCO region : Arabic states
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 2006  (session 30)

The Afladsch ( Arabic أفلاج, DMG aflāǧ ; Plural of false  /فلج / falaǧ ; also Falaj , Faladj ; Aflaj , Afladj ) form an irrigation system in Oman , which enables a year-round water supply in the arid desert state. This system is unique in the Arab states. A selection of five sites in the Aflaj irrigation system has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006 .

The water is channeled from the springs to the villages and towns via canals , which are often several kilometers long, and distributed there. It is used to supply people and for agriculture. Today a total of around 3000–4500 such irrigation systems with a total length of well over 1000 kilometers are still in use.

The Omanis distinguish three forms:

  • the Aini-Afladsch, which are fed directly from the springs
  • the Ghaili-Afladsch, who get their water from a wadi and channel it to its destination in mostly open channels
  • the Iddi-Afladsch, which start as groundwater in underground wells and lead this to daylight in tunnels up to 20 m deep with a minimal gradient after kilometers of paths. During construction, watercourses are first determined by test drilling, then shafts are dug, which are later connected and led to the farmland. The length of the underground facilities can be up to ten kilometers. This ensures the regular supply of fresh water with low evaporation losses. - In Iran, these underground channels are called Qanat .

The existing Afladsch form a network of smaller and larger canals and, as in al-Ain or Sheraje, often run along very steep slopes on the Saiq Plateau, which is over 2000 meters high.

The Aflaj's irrigation system is up to 1500 years old. It is generally believed that this technology was adopted by the Persians in the 6th century BC. In Oman. However, it is also believed that the Persians took over the Afladsch from Oman, as settlements from the time of 1000 BC. Were discovered near Afladsch and Persian irrigation canals only since the 6th century BC. Are known.

The water was distributed according to fixed rules, for which there have been written records since the 9th century. First the drinking water was taken from the watercourse , then the water was passed through the bathing house of the men and women and the house for washing the dead . Only at the end was the water directed onto the gardens and fields.

The wakir is responsible for the water supply. He opens and closes the Aflaj channels according to a precisely defined system. In al-Ain the wakir is called Ali bin Ward (Ali, son of roses). He explains: “It has always been the same for centuries: everyone gets what they need. And not a drop of water is wasted. We all live from this source in al-Ain. But the wells of the new settlement Qatana, over there on the other side of the precipice, they drink our water. The first terraces are already drying up because there is no longer enough water. "

Since the 1970s, the water supply was mainly ensured by mechanical pumps, which led to increasing consumption and a falling groundwater level. That is why the Afladsch is now being used and renovated again.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman. Retrieved September 11, 2017 .

Web links