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ʿAin Bāzān

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The ʿAin Bāzān ( ) or later ʿAin Hunain ( ) was a pipeline that started in the early 14th century. century until the second half of the 16. In the 20th century, the most important basis of water supply formed the city of Mecca. The line, which had a length of about 29 or 32 kilometers, led water from the mountains east of Mecca to Mecca, where it filled various wells in the upper and lower parts of the city. Until early 15. In the 19th century, the leadership was called ʿAin Bāzān, after which the name ʿAin Hunain was transferred to Mecca.

When the line was built, is not clarified. Amīr Tschūpān had the old tubes uncovered in 1326. It is suspected, however, that the pipeline at least partly goes back to the pipeline ʿAin al-Mushāsh, which was built in early 9. It was created by Zubaida bint Jaʿfar, the wife of the Abbasid caliph Hārūn ar-Rashid. The water flow in the ʿAin Bāzān or ʿAin Hunain was subject to great fluctuations. In the early 16th century, it was considered strong when the water reached the one who stood in it up to the shoe straps. In order to increase the water flow of the line in dry phases, it was provided with an ever greater number of feeds over time. In addition, the line had to be repaired and cleaned frequently, as the tubes regularly clogged with soil and debris during flooding. Until the 1560s, ʿAin Hunain remained the “well-known water source of Mekka” (ʿAin Makka al-maʿhūda). Subsequently, the city received a second water pipeline, ʿAin ʿArafāt, which reduced the importance of ʿAin Hunain for the water supply of Mecca. Today, the ʿAin-Hunain pipeline is part of the overall system of Mecca’s historic water pipelines, known as ʿAin Zubaida.

Reports on the exposure of Amīr Tschūpān's leadership
Reports of the exposure of the ʿAin-Bāzān leadership can be found in various Arab historians. They agree that this was done in 726 (= 1325/26 AD) by Amīr Chupān in his capacity as governor of the two Iraqs for the Ilchan ruler Abū Saʿīd.

The report of Ibn Kathir
The earliest account of this event can be found in the world chronicle al-Bidāya wa-n-nihāya of the Syrian historian Ibn Kathīr (d. 1373). He reports that at the beginning of Ramadan 726 (= the beginning of August 1326) the news reached Damascus that a water pipe had been laid for Mecca, which brought great benefit to the inhabitants of the city and was formerly known as ʿAin Bādhān. Amir Chupan led this line from far away to Mecca, where it reached as-Safā and the Ibrāhim Gate of the Holy Mosque. All Meccans, rich and poor, weak and noble, could draw their water from it equally. At the beginning of the year (= end of the year 1325) the excavations were started and they