Historical waterings in Morocco .. Urban legacy decorates the alleys of cities

Sanaa Kouiti-Fes

The sounds of craftsmen 's voices are loud on the pieces of copper in the Saffarine square in the Moroccan city of Fez as they transform them into different forms of pots. This ancient square, which derives its name from the manufacture of copper and yellow metal, attracts visitors and tourists to stand fascinated by the skill and mastery of these craftsmen and what they display inside their shops. With distinctive inscriptions.

The watering of the historic Saffarin is still standing in its place at the entrance that did not hide the neglect and devastation that affected the traces of decoration on its stone painting, and next to it is a large painting announced by one of the establishments involved in the project of restoring thirty historic waterers in Fez.

The establishment of the Saffarin watering dates back to the 13th century during the Marinid period, where the construction of watering was active, and even historical sources reported that Sultan Aba Hassan El-Marini broke the record in building and equipping Morocco with watering.

Watering Restoration
Public waterings (called the people of the east) are part of the Moroccan architectural heritage, and testify to the creativity and excellence of the traditional Moroccan manufacturer, and the splendor of the architecture and care of the sultans of the successive countries to rule Morocco and its men and philanthropists by building these water facilities next to mosques, hotels, markets and squares.

One of the most famous waterfalls in Fez is the watering of the saffarin, carpenters, villagers, Andalusia, the henna market, and the watering of jasmine, which is known for its fresh water, etc.

According to the director of the Fez City Development Agency, Fouad Sarghini of the island, the agency is working on the restoration of 114 historical sites in the ancient city, and the process includes thirty historic watering in the first phase of the seventy found in Fez, adding that the repair and restoration work has been completed in 14 watering Work on a second phase to restore forty other historical waterers.

Al-Sarghini explains that the restoration works will restore historical waterings as they were in the same architectural decoration and style, and will be re-connected to the water network to provide passers-by and visitors in every neighborhood, market and alley need of drinking water.

Important roles
Public watering is an essential element in the urban fabric of the old Moroccan cities.Variously, the city has no old waterings that refer to its important roles in delivering water to the population in homes, mosques and schools, and quenching the thirst of passers-by, artisans, merchants and all those who visit public places, and animals.

Professor of History and Heritage at the University of Fez Moussa al-Aouni describes the architectural style of the scientific capital of the Kingdom singularly, pointing out in an interview with Al Jazeera Net that all the countries that have succeeded to the rule of Morocco - from the Idrisids through Almohads, Almoravids and Marinids, up to Alawites - left its fine architectural imprint.

The city reached its zenith in the Almohad era, and historical sources reveal that the city of Fez alone had at that time eighty public watering, in addition to watering within the so-called ablutions, which amounted to 42 cycles.

Al-Awni distinguishes between two types of public watering: associated with buildings such as mosques and hotels, and independent ones, and says that the selection of the sites of this latter was not random, but has been studied and read the field, built in places that know the influx of people, and large communities; such as the major doors of the city Markets and squares.

Architectural value
Wandering through the alleys and trails of Morocco's ancient cities, the visitor discovers the simplicity of buildings from the outside, whether houses, mosques, schools or hotels, but this apparent simplicity hides beauty and charm that are only realized after the door thresholds are exceeded.

Inside these buildings, one is fascinated by the charm of traditional zigzag, the inscriptions on the walls, marble, and decoration on gypsum and wood.

According to Mousa al-Awni, the waterfalls reveal the inner beauty of the ancient cities and the taste of their ancient inhabitants and the creativity of the artists. Miscellaneous geometric engraving on wood and marble originality.

The watering system consists of three main sections; the lower part is called the watering basin, which is a rectangular basin in which water is collected and from which the animals drink. The central pectoral part consists of one or three arches, and is decorated with pieces of municipal zellig with various geometric shapes. The upper part is called the shed. It is composed of carved wooden pieces or bricks, or decorated with marble or Arabic calligraphy.

Moussa Aouni points out that the components of the decoration in the public irrigations reflect the artistic style found in various other buildings, and reveals the mastery, accuracy and creativity of the traditional Moroccan artists and craftsmen.

It is not only Fez that seeks to restore the spirit and beauty of historical waterings, but also include other cities such as Rabat, Marrakech, Meknes and others, a heritage and history tells the relationship of ancestors with water and decorations of the old neighborhoods that give it privacy and charm of the past.