A hafir, or haffir, is an artificially constructed water catchment basin with a circular earthen wall and diameters of between 70-250 m and heights of up to 7 m.[1] Adapted to semi-desert conditions,[2] the hafirs catch the water during the rainy season to have it available for several months during the dry season to supply drinking water, irrigate fields and water cattle.[3] It is used in central Sudan from time immemorial.
Hafirs were an important feature of the Meroitic civilization in the Butana and were often built in the immediate vicinity of temples, for example the Great Hafir near the Lion Temple in Musawwarat es-Sufra. 800 ancient and modern hafirs have been registered in the Butana.[3] Some scholars assume that the hafirs near temples were a Meroitic policy to control pastoralists’ movements and collect taxes.[4]
Present-dayedit
Hafirs are still constructed and used today in central Sudan and South Sudan. Today's hafirs hold between 10,000 m3 and 60,000 m3 of water mostly administered by village communities and are used for irrigation. Only the hafirs excavated by the government are also accessible to the herds of nomads.[5]
Notesedit
^M.Hinkel; The Water Reservoirs in Ancient Sudan; in: Bonnet (ed.) 1994; Études nubiennes vol. II, Genève pp. 171-175.
hafir, hafir, haffir, artificially, constructed, water, catchment, basin, with, circular, earthen, wall, diameters, between, heights, adapted, semi, desert, conditions, hafirs, catch, water, during, rainy, season, have, available, several, months, during, seas. A hafir or haffir is an artificially constructed water catchment basin with a circular earthen wall and diameters of between 70 250 m and heights of up to 7 m 1 Adapted to semi desert conditions 2 the hafirs catch the water during the rainy season to have it available for several months during the dry season to supply drinking water irrigate fields and water cattle 3 It is used in central Sudan from time immemorial The Great Hafir at Musawwarat es SufraHistory editHafirs were an important feature of the Meroitic civilization in the Butana and were often built in the immediate vicinity of temples for example the Great Hafir near the Lion Temple in Musawwarat es Sufra 800 ancient and modern hafirs have been registered in the Butana 3 Some scholars assume that the hafirs near temples were a Meroitic policy to control pastoralists movements and collect taxes 4 Present day editHafirs are still constructed and used today in central Sudan and South Sudan Today s hafirs hold between 10 000 m3 and 60 000 m3 of water mostly administered by village communities and are used for irrigation Only the hafirs excavated by the government are also accessible to the herds of nomads 5 Notes edit M Hinkel The Water Reservoirs in Ancient Sudan in Bonnet ed 1994 Etudes nubiennes vol II Geneve pp 171 175 Hafirs in Sudan a b Fritz Hintze Kush XI pp 222 224 Intisar Soghayroun Elzein Soghayroun 2010 Trade and Wadis System s in Muslim Sudan p 44 ISBN 978 9970 25 005 9 Common Rainwater Harvesting Techniques in Sudan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hafir amp oldid 1177977331, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
