Helwan, Egypt; traditional Egyptian waterwheel

Helwan, Egypt; shows a traditional saqiyah, a waterwheel drawn by water buffalo. The animals are hitched to the wooden poles which are attached to a metal spindle. As they walk around the hollow wheel, the spindle rotates and drives the wheel which is half-submerged in water. Water flows into irrigation ditches which are cut into the earth around crop beds. Waterwheels are used by small farmers although virtually all farms over five feddans use pumps. Photographed January 1990.