Al-Jisriya Norias

This noria, located by the historic Orontes River bridge, stands as the oldest wooden wheel still operating with its original mechanism. Boasting a diameter of approximately 22 meters and featuring 120 compartments, it efficiently lifts 2,000 liters of water per minute to a double-arched stone aqueduct. The Orientalist Dickson documented this remarkable structure in 1890 through a watercolor painting, which is now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Its wooden axles are replaced every seven years with mulberry wood, meticulously pre-soaked in tar oil for six months to ensure durability.