ASME-Landmark:Noria al-Muhammadiyya

Although Hama is home to seventeen norias—that is, water wheels that raise water from a stream or river and discharge it at a higher elevation—the Noria al-Muhammadiyya, built in 1361 CE, is the most famous due to its unique size and longevity. At 21 meters (69 feet) in diameter, the Noria al-Muhammadiyya greatly outsizes the typical waterwheel size of 2 to 3 meters (7 to 9 feet) and is among the largest water wheels ever constructed. And despite its more than six centuries of age, the Noria al-Muhammadiyya is still in service today thanks to its 1977 restoration.

The English word noria is derived from the Arabic word "naurah," or "the wailer," a word used in Syria to refer to water wheels due to the wailing sound made during a water wheel's operation, a sound that is often compared to organ music. While all norias are water wheels, not all water wheels are norias; a water wheel typically drives a grindstone or machinery, while a noria's purpose is to elevate water. The river that provides the water that the Noria al-Muhammadiyya elevates is its sole source of energy.

According to an inscription on the noria, it was built to take water to the al-A'la mosque in 763 AH. It also supplied water to the public bath of Hammam al-Dahab, to the gardens around the mosque, and to nearby houses and fountains. Fourteen of the arches of its aqueduct still exist. See ASME website for more information