Sewerage network of pipes in Light of Recent Archaeological Excavations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65074/qmv4rh77Keywords:
Excavations - Al-Hashimiyah - Maskan - Harbi - Al-Atishi – BasraAbstract
Received: 2026 / 07 / 17
Revision: 2026 / 08 / 14
Accepted: 2026 / 09 / 13
Published: 2026 / 09 / 30
Sewerage network of pipes represents one of the civilizational features of the Islamic city. Archaeological excavations at Islamic archaeological sites have revealed many of them, clearly demonstrating the community's concern for cleanliness and purity as a fundamental principle of our religion. Despite the importance of this architectural and service element, studies and research have not addressed it directly, often mentioning it only marginally within discussions of house and palace architecture. No dedicated study has been devoted to it despite its vital function. Due to the material and examples of sanitation channels we have gathered from recent excavations at Islamic archaeological sites, we felt it beneficial to write a research paper on the subject, hoping it will be a successful starting point for future studies undertaken by archaeologists and those interested in history and architectural infrastructure.
The research is divided into several sections: The first section: The Islamic perspective on cleanliness, which is a fundamental and primary position in Islam, mentioned in numerous verses of the Holy Quran and Prophet's quotes and traditions. To understand the origins of sewage systems, we dedicated a second section to discuss their historical roots, examining important pre-Islamic models from ancient Iraqi cities. A third section explored sewage systems in Islamic archaeological sites, including archaeological discoveries that confirmed the existence of such systems in the homes and streets of these ancient Islamic cities. This is followed by an introduction and a conclusion. We hope we have succeeded in this endeavor... and success comes from God.
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