amazing... that these are easy enough to engineer, that they were able to be built, without electric tools, about 700 years ago. If well-maintained, a noria will have complete replacement of its wooden parts every 15 years.

 

These water wheels, also known as the Noria of Hama, and the Roman like aqueduct, in modern Syria on the river Orontes

A series of 17 norias, historic water-raising machines for irrigation, along the Orontes River in the city of Hama, Syria. 

They are tall water wheels with box-like water collection compartments embedded around their rims. As the river flows, it pushes these water collection boxes under water, where they quickly fill up, then are driven up to the top of the wheel where they empty into an aqueduct. The aqueduct can carry the water to supply buildings, gardens and farmland.

Seventeen of Hama's original norias have been conserved. They are notable for their medieval origins, for their large number and for the enormous size of two of them - for nearly 500 years the tallest waterwheels in the world.

Constructed without power tools, probably without chain hoists... likely only with human and ox power. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122152704038200055&set=a.122110127678200055
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norias_of_Hama