Al Rabatha Reservoir – Birkat Abu Salim

 Of the most famous archaeological sites on the pilgrimage route from Kufa to Mecca, to the east of Medina about (200 km), has yielded archaeological excavations over (20 years)

 in the discovery of a fortified city, consisting of houses supported by huge walls and towers and the remains of two mosques and water tanks pottery and ceramics Industry stoneworks, jewelry, storage tanks, and huge pools. ALRABADHAH adopted on rainwater floods, wells, numbering more than (12) wells drilled in the urban boundary of the city and residents benefited from the pools ALRABADHAH neighbors two of the pools of the pilgrimage route 

(the path of Zubaydah) in addition to other reservoirs along the road and dug wells in the vicinity of ALRABADHAH and bodies of water in the springs and cavities of rock and natural basins.

 The most prominent features of ALRABADHAH is the design for water conservation reservoirs (tanks) was built under the level floors of rooms and inner courtyards and corridors in all housing units and built this beautiful reservoir engineering way, the average depth of about one tank (2 m) below the level of floors and the same length as the room, stones used in building walls and covered with plaster and strong sqft reservoirs stone rectangular leds sealed the openings, provided to each tank top slot to cover the neck by a stone. And the tank was filled with water in one of two ways: 

1. Stone or pottery Tubes, designed in a way pass the rainwater falling on the roofs of houses into the reservoirs.

 2. Transfer of water directly from the reservoirs andwells to the tanks when needed or in non-rainy seasons. 

The design of reservoirs to conserve water in this way within the Rbzp tranquility and safety by providing clean water and diverse ways. 

Dozens of tanks were detected , some in groups and some other tank under the floor of each room and according to the selected area, provided the pipes, some pottery and plaster on the surfaces of water distribution among them, and some clay pipes and plaster on the surfaces of water distribution, including some provided sedimentation tanks (drained) before water entering the reservoir of the President. 

The number of reservoirs discovered approximately (200) reservoir, a keen Rabzh people benefit from these reservoirs in all periods and phases, have discovered some of the layers below the level of housing remained in use early in the subsequent periods. 

This technique was developed to save water as a result of the increasing numbers of pilgrims were convoys convoy consisting of one (15.000) to (20.000) of the camel, and the narrator, the value of water in times of drought and tribulations of dinars per camel.

In the book (Darb Zubaydah), 

Dr. Saad Al-Rashed the Reservoir has a diameter of (64 m) with a depth of (5 m), as for the refinery pool it is a rectangular shape its length is

 (55 m) and width (18 m) shallow depth, used to remove residues and dirt from the water before entering the main reservoir.

 The refinary pool leading to the main reservoir