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Schematics of an ideal sakia (Fathi).

A sakia (alternative spelling sakieh, also called "Persian wheel"; Arabic: ساقية‎, sāqīya), tympanum or tablia ^[1]is a water wheel, somewhat similar to a noria, and used primarily in Egypt. It is a large hollow wheel, normally made of galvanized sheet steel, with scoops or buckets at the periphery. It is characteristic in the sense that water is dispensed near the hub, rather than from the top.

Sakias range in diameter from two to five meters. Though traditionally driven by draught animals, they are now increasingly attached to an engine. While animal-driven sakias can rotate at 2-4 rpm, motorised ones can make as much as 8-15 rpm.

A (animal driven) sakia can pump up water from 10 meters depth, and is thus considerably more efficient than a shadoof (which can only pump water from 3 meters).

External links

• Description at the Sakia.org website.

Further reading

• Fraenkel, P., (1990) "Water-Pumping Devices: A Handbook for users and choosers" Intermediate Technology Publications.
• Molenaar, A., (1956) "Water lifting devices for irrigation" FAO Agricultural Development Paper No. 60, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

References