Apamea (Ancient City of Apamea)

The Al-Kilaniyah collection of norias comprises three immense wooden waterwheels, turning in harmonious synchronicity on the western bank of the Orontes River. One of these, “Al-Kilaniyah,” with a remarkable diameter of 18 meters, feeds water through 200-meter-long stone aqueducts towards the orchards of the Al-Kilaniyah district. The oldest endowment document, dating back to 628 AH, reveals that Sheikh Yusuf Al-Kilani dedicated a quarter of the revenue from the Blacksmiths’ Market to the maintenance of the two wheels and their wooden axles. Despite the seasonal recession of the water in summer, the creaking chorus of the wooden planks continues to echo, a distinctive overture defining the city’s auditory identity.