{{short description|Ancient water channels in Oman}} {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site | image = FalajDaris.JPG | caption = Falaj Daris | Location = Oman | Type = Cultural | Criteria = (v) | ID = 1207 | Coordinates= | Year = 2006 | locmapin = Oman }}
The '''Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman''' are ancient water harvesting, transportation, storage and distribution systems from AD 500 located in the Omani regions of Dakhiliyah, Sharqiyah and Batinah. They represent an ancient type of Middle Eastern irrigation system with a history going back 5,000 years in that region.<ref>{{Cite web |title= The Traditional Aflaj Irrigation System - An Omani Heritage |website= omaninfo.com |url=http://www.falajsystem.com/agriculture-fisheries/traditional-aflaj-irrigation-system-omani-heritage.asp |access-date=2018-07-13}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted= yes}}</ref> One type is associated with a water system known as ''qanat'' or ''kariz'', originating from Persia and present there and in countries of the Arabian Peninsula near Oman.<ref name= 2Med>{{Cite web |title= Aflaj Irrigation System, Oman |website= Med-O-Med, cultural landscapes of the Mediterranean and the Middle East |publisher= Islamic Culture Foundation (FUNCI), Spain |lang= en |url= https://medomed.org/med-o-med-network/ |access-date= 12 May 2026}}</ref> ''Aflaj'' systems may include an underground horizontal section accessed by vertical shafts, which collects water from the aquifer by using the same technology as the Iranian ''qanat'' systems. They always include surface channels for transport and distribution.<ref>{{cite book |last= Megdiche-Kharrat |first= Fairouz |last2= Moussa |first2= M. |last3= Ragala |first3= Rachid |chapter= mmm |editor= Ayda Alehashemi |editor2= Jean-François Coulais |editor3= Gilles Hubert |title= Water & City: Hydraulic Systems and Urban Structures |year= 2020 |pages= 117-127 (see Fig. 1a. on p. 120) |publisher= Éditions l’Œil d’Or et Jean-Luc André d’Asciano |isbn= 978-2-490437-03-0 |via= researchgate.net |chapter-url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346121047_Typical_Human_Settlements_Cities_and_Related_Ancestral_Hydraulic_Systems_A_Comparative_Approach_through_Examples_from_the_MENA_Region_and_Europe |access-date= 24 September 2025}}</ref>
"'''Aflaj'''" ({{Langx|ar|أفلاج|rtl=yes}}) is the plural of "'''falaj'''" ({{Langx|ar|فلج|rtl=yes}}), which means "split into parts" in classical Arabic.<ref>{{cite web |author= Aftab H. Kola |title= Falaj: Life-giving channels of Oman |date= June 26, 2013 |website= Arab News |url= https://www.arabnews.com/news/456197 |access-date= 24 September 2025}}</ref> This irrigation system effectively divided the water among all the inhabitants; it flowed by gravity from its original sources to homes and cropland. The complex included watchtowers to protect it, but also mosques and other buildings.<ref name= UN>{{cite web |title= Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman |publisher= UNESCO |url= https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1207/ |access-date= 17 May 2015}}</ref>
In 2006, five aflaj were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites under the name "Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman": Falaj Al-Khatmeen, Falaj Al-Malki, Falaj Daris, Falaj Al-Mayassar and Falaj Al-Jeela.<ref>{{cite web |title= Ancient irrigation system (Oman) and Palaces of Genoa (Italy) among ten new sites on World Heritage List |publisher= UNESCO |url= https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/267/ |access-date=17 May 2015}}</ref>
==Types and maintenance== {{AI-generated|date=November 2025|section=Types}}
The Aflaj Inventory Project offers data about the ''aflaj'' systems.<ref name= 2Med/> There are three main types of aflaj in Oman: * '''''daudi''''' (also ''dawoodi'', ''daoudi'') or '''''iddi''''' ''aflaj'': underground channels, with an abundant, perennial flow of water dependant on changes in the groundwater table. Found on the upstream plains of Sharqiyah, Dakhiliyah, Dhahirah and the Batinah regions. Up to 12 km long, 0.5-1 m wide, 0.5-2 m high, reaching up to 50 m below ground level. May have dozens of branches, which increase the flow. Al Malki falaj in Izki holds the record with 17 branches. The name shows that they are attributed to Prophet Dawood.{{clarify |Med-O-Med source actually reads "Prophet Suleiman", which must be a confusion - Suleiman (Shlomo, Solomon) is the biblical & koranic son of Dawood (David); dawoodi means 'of Dawood', as opposed to suleimani, 'of Suleiman'. The source is ALMOST good, looks like a non-scholar summarised from a scholarly source. |date= May 2026}} The ''daudi'' type accounts for 23.5% of all of Oman's aflaj.<ref name= 2Med/> * '''''ghaili''''' ''aflaj'': seasonal flow, determined by groundwater level and rainfall. Fed mainly from pools building up downstream of wadis during rainy season. Open channels, covered only within wadis. Up to 4 metres deep below ground surface and 100 m - 2 km long. Most prevalent type in northern Oman, and 48.5% of the country's total number of aflaj.<ref name= 2Med/> * '''''aini''''' ''aflaj'': exploit mountain springs fed by deep geological strata and use open channels. Water often contains sulphur, is sometimes hot and can be therapeutic, for instance against rheumatism. The best known Omani hot springs are Ain Al Thawarah in Nakhal, Ain Al Kasfah in Al Rustaq and Ain Arzat in Jebal Al Qara in Dhofar. The ''aini '' type constitute some 28% of the total number of Omani aflaj.<ref name= 2Med/>
This diversity indicates the nuanced understanding and exploitation of local hydrogeological conditions to secure water throughout the year.<ref name= UN/> The aflaj systems feature access shafts built every 20 meters along the tunnel for ventilation and debris removal.{{cn |date= May 2026}} A distinct feature is the ring of burnt clay at the shaft mouth, which prevents tunnel collapse and flooding, safeguards the water from pollution, and stops people and animals from falling in.{{cn |date= May 2026}} This highlights the sophisticated engineering and preventive measures embedded in the design to ensure durability and cleanliness of the water supply.{{cn |date= May 2026}}
Despite their ancient origins, about 3,000 aflaj systems remain functional, underlining their enduring value to Oman's agricultural and domestic water supply. The maintenance and care of these systems, as in the case of Birkat Al Mus, showcase the communal effort and the high regard for water monitors or trustees (''wakil''s), who play a crucial role in preserving the clarity and purity of the water, essential for the survival of these desert communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oman's ancient irrigation systems: Supporting life in a desert |lang=en |publisher= Contunico Clip-Kollektion, ZDF Studios |place= Mainz |via= britannica.com |url= https://www.britannica.com/video/179533/Overview-Oman-irrigation-system |access-date= 2024-03-25}}</ref>
== Bombing during the 1950s Jebel Akhdar War == Declassified information by the British National Archives later revealed that the British government deliberately destroyed the Aflaj Irrigation systems and crops by air strikes during the Jebel Akhdar War of the late 1950s in order to prevent locals in the interior of Oman from gathering crops and having access to water supplies. Wadi Beni Habib and the water channel at Semail were among the water supplies that were deliberately damaged. Air strikes on Saiq and Sharaijah rendered cultivation in the areas "hazardous". Furthermore, these documents reveal that the British Foreign Secretary gave the approval on 4 August 1957 to carry out air strikes without prior warning to the locals residing in the interior of Oman. The ban on visas for the press by the sultan and the ability of the British government to carry out air strikes discreetly using Masirah Airfield helped in sustaining the military operations under low profile.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jurkowski|first=Maureen|title=Monastic Archives in the National Archives|date=April 2007|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/archives.2007.1|journal=Archives: The Journal of the British Records Association|volume=32|issue=116|pages=1–18|doi=10.3828/archives.2007.1|issn=0003-9535|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==World Heritage-designated aflaj== thumb|Al-Katmeen {| class="wikitable" |- ! Falaj ! Coordinates ! Area ! Region<ref name= UN/> |- | Al-Katmeen | {{coord|22|56|0|N|57|40|0|E}} | {{convert|135.028|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}} | Dakhiliyah |- | Al-Malki | {{coord|22|44|0|N|57|46|0|E}} | {{convert|600|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}} | Dakhiliyah |- | Daris | {{coord|22|59|0|N|57|32|0|E}} | {{convert|389.468|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}} | Dakhiliyah |- | Al-Jeela | {{coord|22|47|0|N|59|10|0|E}} | {{convert|30.952|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}} | Sharqiyah |- | Al-Muyasser | {{coord|23|21|0|N|57|27|0|E}} | {{convert|300.501|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}} | Batinah |}
==See also== * Al Hajar montane woodlands
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/aflaj-irrigation-systems-of-oman/BwKyW03NezuzLQ Explore the Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture]
{{World Heritage Sites in Oman}}
Category:World Heritage Sites in Oman Category:Irrigation in Oman Category:Irrigation