SOURCE AÏN EL-FARAS (SOURCE OF THE MARE)

Located at the western end of the city, the founding source of the oasis of Ghadamès was 6 m deep in its centre and "water at 30 ° C. It irrigated virtually all the gardens of the palm grove, directly via seguia, small canals where the water ran towards each plot.

Where séguia did not surrender, balancier wells (dalou) were allowed to extract and transport water. The amount of water allocated to each garden was cleverly determined: a percé cup, the gâddous, was the unit of minimum irrigation time, the quantity of which then varied depending on the day and night: The day noûba had fifteen times fewer units of hydraulic time than the night noûba. Similarly, each seguia had a number of different hydraulic time units depending on the quantity of gardens served.

However, the sophistication of the hydraulic system did not prevent the flow of the source from at the end of the th century falling. Work was undertaken that Italians continued in the 1930 s, even to build a deep well to extend the palm grove to the east, but without great success. Under French administration, in the 1940 s, another well was drilled and the concrete irrigation canals, as seen near the gardens near the Ain el-Faras source. In the mid th century, the Ain el-Faras source was used only for irrigation in the northwest and southwest of the oasis.

In December 2005, important work on upgrading dry artesian well was carried out in partnership with UNDP. The source has been renovated and refurbished, and during the event the children have come diving so it is true that it has the size of a beautiful swimming pool. During our last passage, she underwent further maintenance work. The approaches of the old town behind the source have also recently been the subject of renovation by the UNESCO programme, such as the large door overlooking the oasis on the right, surmounted by a growing and star.

To the west of the source, you can see a former water where the camels come refreshing after their long Saharan crossings.