ABSTRACT
In Morocco the new water supply systems were known as khettaras and thousands were built throughout the Saharan oases, the valleys of the Atlas Mountains and in the plains around Marrakech. Their Spanish counterparts, the madjiras, continued to play an important role in the Spanish water distribution system until 1860. Mohammad Al-Karagi describes the principles behind the construction of the underground aqueduct in great detail, explaining how to ensure the qanat channel slopes down at the correct angle, detailing a list of instruments used for topographical survey. The process of qanat construction is an art in itself that requires expert knowledge of soil types, groundwater, and construction principles. The water that flows through the qanat is a mere trickle, no longer fit for use, and a new, more modern system of domestic water supply has replaced the web of tunnels.
