Channels under the plain
The water came from the foot of the High Atlas through khettaras: underground channels dug at a gentle slope to carry groundwater across the plain to the city and its gardens.
A basin above the orchards
The great basin, about 195 by 160 metres, was built above ground. Standing higher than the orchards, it could store water through the dry months and release it to the trees by gravity.
Olives in rows
Around the basin, the orchard is still mostly olive trees, with some fruit trees and cypresses. The trees are planted in a regular grid about ten metres apart.
