The Noria

The Noria

The noria assisted many people in getting water from what seemed to be impossible water sources. Farmers, families, and villagers have used norias to get water. Creating the noria must have been a difficult task but it has benefited many people. People have used norias for water for many different household tasks. Norias are a great achievement.

Norias have a broad history. It was possibly invented in the Tigris/Euphrates valley. The cakkavattaka was mentioned in Indian text around 350 BC. In Roman times the noria was used and described by Vitruvius in 1 BC. Another name for the noria is the Egyptian wheel. The Kitab al-Hawi, 10th century Iraq, could lift up to 153,000 liters of water per hour. Modern norias in the Middle East can lift up to 288,000 liters of water per hour. The largest noria in the world is in Hama, Syria.

The noria has been used in many places across the world. Norias have been used in early Roman times. These impressive creations have been used in Muslim lands, from Andalusia to North Africa, greater Syria, Persia, and eastward. Norias are still being built and used in Syria, the Yucatan, China, Spain, and Iraq. The largest noria is in Syria. In East Asia, modern norias can lift up to 288,000 liters of water per hour. References to Arab geographers show that norias have been used in Muslim lands throughout the world. During the agricultural expansion in Song China, the noria was improved. The noria has helped many people throughout many lands. The noria has many uses. Its sole purpose is to lift water. With this water farmers could irrigate their crops and their farmland. Noria water could be used for drinking water. Getting water from a noria made life easier. It allowed people to live farther away from civilized life and allowed them to stay at their house and not have to go far for water. Having a noria would give you a constant water supply. The noria provided bathing, cooking, and laundry water. These powerful water machines are very helpful.

The noria works very simply. It consists of 3 main components: wood, rope, and buckets. It is a vertical wheel slung with a chain of buckets. Buckets hang down into the water source. The wheel is turned by the force of the water. Buckets lift water to the top of the wheel into an aqueduct. Commonly, the buckets are made of wood, bamboo or clay. Norias were easy to maintain for farmers, villages and families. These were very efficient because of the simple ideas.

Norias have been adjusted, improved, and greatly used for many years. The work of creating norias has been benefited by many people. The water wheels are used for many different tasks. Norias have been used and appreciated by many people in many lands. The noria is a great invention.