Khettara Water Systems

Khettaras are underground water channels that tap into aquifers and carry water downhill by gravity alone — no pumps, no energy, no moving parts. Brought to Morocco by Persian engineers (where they are called qanats), some Moroccan khettaras date back 1,000 years. The Marrakech Haouz plain once had over 500 khettaras feeding the city's gardens and fountains. Each requires shafts dug every 10-20 meters for maintenance access, creating distinctive lines of circular openings visible from the air. Climate change and motorized pumps have dried many, but restoration efforts are underway. They represent one of humanity's most elegant engineering solutions.