Water Supply Problems in Jeddah in the Early Twentieth Century and the Attempts of Azmzade Sadik al-Muayyad

Abstract

The provision of potable water was one of the most pressing concerns of the Hijaz peninsula's cities. This issue, which has been significant since the Age of Ignorance, preserved its importance after the advent of Islam and evolved into public service over time. For ages, Muslim rulers were concerned about the lack of fresh water in Haramain, i.e., Mecca and Medina, and they invested there considerably. These investments have also benefited Jeddah, known as Mecca's gate. Even though the investments allowed the problem to be solved, the water scarcity was reiterated over time. The water shortage that pilgrims, troops, and city dwellers in Jeddah suffered at the turn of the twentieth century is discussed in this article. In this regard, Azmzade Sadik al-Muayyad Bey's (1858-1910) initiatives will be examined in-depth, as will his struggle against the preventive efforts of local and regional actors confronted during this time. He was a significant diplomat throughout the Hamidian era and one of the project implementers in the field. In this research, the initiatives of a statesman from the ancien regime to solve a centuries-old problem will be studied. It makes sense to comprehend these attempts for at least two reasons. Firstly, it emphasizes that traditional water supply methods have not lost their popularity despite the increased usage of modern filtration and distillation technologies. Second, it provides a striking example of local actors' resistance levels in the first decade of the twentieth century. It would be beneficial to review the historical context of the city's water issue to understand the situation better. When it comes to the Ottoman ages, it is known that the region's water supply was delivered via canals, cisterns, and fountains, both old and new infrastructures. Although plenty of investments were made in the second part of the nineteenth century, the city's supply-demand water balance deteriorated due to increased population density. To begin with, despite the fact that the Ayn al-Hamidiyya aqueduct, which was constructed during this time, mainly solved the water supply problem, it was damaged within a quarter-century. Second, water was occasionally transported from adjacent regions, such as Suez, by water-laden ships, but this was just a temporary solution. Third, filtration, distillation and ice machines were brought to Jeddah with the emergence of new water purification technologies; however, the necessary efficiency could not be achieved since these systems were generally not operated properly. Consequently, drinking water had to be brought in from kilometers distant by aqueducts or supplied from unsanitary cisterns during this period. The water market became monopolized by the cisterns' owners due to water scarcity. Actually, they played a significant role in the monopoly's emergence, as their sabotage destroyed a significant portion of the canals created at considerable expenditure. Jeddah's thirst had reached critical proportions by 1909. Meanwhile, Egypt's Khedive, Abbas Hilmi Pasha, went on a pilgrimage pledged to fix the water crisis and made some attempts. However, central and local authorities thwarted the Khedive's endeavor, which suspected him of engaging in this operation for political purposes. At the beginning of 1910, Azmzade Sadik al-Muayyad was appointed the city's highest civil and military head. He was a statesman from the ancien regime who was downgraded from the rank of pasha following the Second Constitutional Monarchy and dismissed from his post as the Sultan's aide-de-camp. One of his efforts in Jeddah, which he could only undertake for five months owing to health issues, was an attempt to tackle the city's ongoing water problem. Sadik Bey's initial move was to cooperate with the Sublime Porte and other provincial authorities to stop the Khedive's activities. After that, Sadik looked for alternative possibilities and began repairing the Ayn Faraj Yusr aqueduct. The most pressing issue, however, was one of funding. He hoped to overcome this problem by enlisting the help of the city's merchants and wealthy, as well as the notables. Monahan, the British consul in Jeddah, on the other hand, claims that Sadik Bey was manipulated into selecting Ayn Faraj Yusr. Many sources of water with a somewhat salty flavor, similar to this one, he reported, already existed in the area. However, what was clear was that the city's residents had long been affected by water scarcity. At the same time, it was also known long ago that the waters in the area had a saline taste. Despite its salty taste, this source could provide the drinking water needs of the underprivileged with low financial resources. It can be thought that Sadik Bey began the repair of Ayn Faraj Yusr due to the apparent demand and the fact that only this project could be accomplished with the available funds. On the other hand, a group of merchants in the city were opposed to such investments. This group, who monopolized the water economy, was naturally opposed to Sadik's project and addressed petitions to the Sublime Porte. However, the administration of Hijaz backed Sadik alMuayyad, claiming that the job he did was in the best interests of the inhabitants. Notwithstanding the objections and financial challenges, the construction was mostly completed within two months. Meantime, Sadik Bey left the city and went to Istanbul because of his health issues. The project failed due to this inevitable departure; in other words, the months of effort were for naught. As a result, the administrators assigned to Jeddah on the eve of the Empire's collapse made a sincere and significant effort to resolve the water crisis. Yet, it also highlights the challenge city dwellers and pilgrims faced in changing the status quo regarding water scarcity due to budgetary constraints and opposition and interference by local and regional actors. Furthermore, the Ottoman Empire's political and financial crisis and the Muslim world's existential concerns throughout the time under review caused such critical investments to fall out of favor and the current projects to fail.