Alaouite Water The Khettara Irrigation Crisis

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Morocco's ancient underground irrigation systems, the khettara, which sustained oases for centuries. They trace the technology from its probable Persian origins through its arrival in Morocco via the Almoravids, to its peak under the Saadian and Alaouite dynasties. The episode focuses on a specific crisis: the collapse of water tables in the Tafilalt region in the late 19th century, which forced Sultan Hassan I to commission repairs and new construction. The conversation highlights the engineering marvel of these gently sloping tunnels, the legal frameworks that governed water rights, and the social organization of the 'water judges' or 'khattat'. The episode also touches on the modern challenges of khettara abandonment due to diesel pumps and the recent UNESCO recognition. Specific figures mentioned include the geographer al-Idrisi, Sultan Moulay Ismail, and the French engineer Maurice de Périgny who documented the systems in 1912. The khettara serve as a lens to understand Morocco's environmental history and the relationship between dynastic power and water management.

#Khettara #Irrigation #Morocco #Alaouite #Tafilalt #WaterHistory #Almoravid #Saadian #SultanHassanI #MoulayIsmail #AlIdrisi #Qanat #Oasis #UNESCO #Foggara #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #Almohad #Idrisid

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