Bir Kiseiba
Bir kiseiba is a type of traditional water storage system used in ancient times in the Middle East. It is basically a small underground reservoir made of stone or mud, usually shaped like a dome or a cylindrical tower with an opening at the top and a door at the side.
Imagine a big bucket buried in the ground, but with a roof made of rocks or mud bricks covering it and a wooden or metal door on one side that can be opened to get inside. This is what a bir kiseiba looks like.
The purpose of a bir kiseiba was to collect and store rainwater during the rainy season, so that it can be used for drinking, cooking, washing, and irrigating crops during the dry season. The rainwater would flow through channels or pipes from the roofs of houses or the surrounding hills into the bir kiseiba, where it would accumulate and be kept clean and cool thanks to the natural insulation of the earth.
The people who built and used bir kiseibas were typically nomads or farmers living in arid areas where water was scarce and precious. They would dig a hole in the ground and line it with stones or mud, and then build a dome or a tower on top of it using more stones or mud bricks. They would also make sure that the bir kiseiba was situated in a strategic location, such as a hill or a valley, to maximize the collection of rainwater.
To access the water stored in the bir kiseiba, people would open the door and climb down a ladder or a set of steps to the bottom. They would then scoop out the water using pots or buckets and carry it back to their homes or fields. They would also make sure to keep the bir kiseiba clean and free of debris and animals, as it was their main source of water and they depended on it for survival.
Today, bir kiseibas are no longer used as much as they were in the past, as modern technology and infrastructure have made water more accessible and abundant in most areas. However, they remain a fascinating example of human ingenuity and resourcefulness in adapting to challenging environments.
Imagine a big bucket buried in the ground, but with a roof made of rocks or mud bricks covering it and a wooden or metal door on one side that can be opened to get inside. This is what a bir kiseiba looks like.
The purpose of a bir kiseiba was to collect and store rainwater during the rainy season, so that it can be used for drinking, cooking, washing, and irrigating crops during the dry season. The rainwater would flow through channels or pipes from the roofs of houses or the surrounding hills into the bir kiseiba, where it would accumulate and be kept clean and cool thanks to the natural insulation of the earth.
The people who built and used bir kiseibas were typically nomads or farmers living in arid areas where water was scarce and precious. They would dig a hole in the ground and line it with stones or mud, and then build a dome or a tower on top of it using more stones or mud bricks. They would also make sure that the bir kiseiba was situated in a strategic location, such as a hill or a valley, to maximize the collection of rainwater.
To access the water stored in the bir kiseiba, people would open the door and climb down a ladder or a set of steps to the bottom. They would then scoop out the water using pots or buckets and carry it back to their homes or fields. They would also make sure to keep the bir kiseiba clean and free of debris and animals, as it was their main source of water and they depended on it for survival.
Today, bir kiseibas are no longer used as much as they were in the past, as modern technology and infrastructure have made water more accessible and abundant in most areas. However, they remain a fascinating example of human ingenuity and resourcefulness in adapting to challenging environments.