Well houses (Arabic: Biara) were farmsteads established in the vicinity of orange groves in mid-19th century Palestine. In addition to luxury villas, the complex included a well, a water storage pool, a pumping system and irrigation channels.[1]
History[edit]
Well houses served as an integral part of Jaffa's citrus-grove culture and contributed to the city's growth. Each "house" was in effect a compound with accommodations for orchard workers, a water well, a reservoir and an irrigation system. Members of Jaffa's upper class converted a number of them into luxury mansions and summer homes. [2]
As plantations grew up outside the walls of Jaffa, farmers built homes there, usually one-story buildings. Later, a second story was added, and sometimes separate residential units were built for the workers.
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Well water was pumped through two sets of wheels—horizontal and vertical—moved by camels or mules. Modern systems were later established driven by diesel-powered engine. A storage pool would be established near the well, and water flowed to canals to irrigate the orchards, using gravity. Some wells were transferred to sebils established outside the walls.