Une histoire ancienne: le captage de la source de Ras el Aïn et l'alimentation en eau de la ville de Tyr (Liban)

An old history : the water catchment works of Ras el Ain springs and the water supply of Tyr city, Southern Lebanon

¹ Hydrosciences, CNRS UM II, cc MSE F-34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
² Ministère des ressources hydrauliques, Beyrouth, Liban
³ Office National du Litani, Beyrouth, Liban

Auteurs de correspondance : baka@msem.univ-montp2.fr m_f1eyfel@hotmail.com ahachach@cyberia.net.lb

Abstract

Antique cities around Eastern Mediterranean Sea develop very early, mainly thanks to their improving knowledge of techniques for exploiting water resources. Surface waters and karst groundwater were both the resources which were exploited and distributed in the earlier cities by means of important collective structures, such as wells, artesian wells, embankments and water intake structures recharging canals and aqueducts. The water supply system for Tyre city, the main Phoenician harbour, presently Sour, a town of Southern Lebanon, is a very interesting example with respect to technological progress in water management, probably beginning around 1200 BC. The water-catchment works of Ras el Ain springs, sometimes named King Salomon's basins, must be known for their originality and their exceptional working duration (about three millenniums), because they show a remarkable example of technical development of water catchment which should be protected as a World common heritage. The conditions of catchment are described, as well as the distribution network, with the present day hydrogeological knowledge, in order to show the exceptional reasons for the success and the originality of these structures.