Pottery Making
Pottery is one of the oldest crafts in human history. In Madinah, it became popular due to the availability of raw materials - water and soft soil - in the surrounding valleys.
Supplying Drinking Water
Supplying drinking water is a volunteering craft that reflects the traditional heritage of Madinah. Volunteers would go around, carrying water containers and distributing water to people.
This volunteering craft was very popular in Madinah. Locally known as saqqayeen (sing. saqqa), those who practiced this craft would go around in the Prophet's Mosque, with water jugs, to distribute water to people. They also used to deliver full waterskins to homes.
A Craft of Supplying Fresh Water in Madinah:
This volunteering craft was widespread in the past. It mainly targeted pilgrims and visitors of Makkah and Madinah, but it was also offered to Madinah residents. Households with private wells had no access to fresh water, so they were compelled to contract water carriers to bring them water from fresh springs and wells in the area.
Water supply volunteers procured water from springs and wells in Madinah, especially from Manahel al-Ain az-Zarqa (the Blue Fountains), which has several springs, such as Bab Ash-Shami and Darb al-Janayez springs. Each spring was managed by a team consisting of three persons: a sheikh, a deputy and an officer.
Water Supplying Volunteers Procuring Fresh Water:
Drinking Water distribution volunteers performed various tasks. They collected water from a fresh source, distributed water jugs and cups, and delivered waterskins to homes against a certain fee.
The Kingdom's Honor of Providing Drinking Water in the Two Holy Mosques:
With the passage of time, this craft began to disappear, especially with regard to delivering water to homes, which is no longer available in our time due to easy access to fresh water. As for the Two Holy Mosques, the government continues to supply drinking water. The process is supervised by the government, and water is provided abundantly to meet the needs of the large numbers of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
The Profession in Heritage Festivals:
Those interested in traditional crafts represented the craft of procuring and distributing drinking water in heritage festivals under government auspices. This is due to the positive impact of this craft, and the fact that it embodied the values of charity and benevolence in Madinah society.
