Zamzam Well
Masjid al-Haram, Mecca
Zamzam Well, or Well of Zamzam, is a well within the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. It is situated about 20 meters to the east of the Kaaba.
Muslims believe that the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hajar, the wife of Abraham (Ibrahim) and mother of Ishmael, around the year 2000 BC. According to legend, Hajar was desperately seeking water for the infant Ishmael, but could find none, as Mecca is located in a hot dry valley with few other sources of water. Hajar ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, looking for water. God then sent the angel Jibril (Gabriel) who dug a hole in the ground and caused the spring to appear. On finding the spring, Hajar confined the pool of water with sand and stones. The name of the well comes from the phrase zome zome, meaning "stop flowing", a command repeated by Hajar as she attempted to contain the spring water. Other versions of the story say that the water just suddenly appeared at the feet of Ishmael, or that the angel Jibril scraped the ground with his heel or brushed it with the tip of his wing and the Zamzam appeared.
According to Islamic tradition, Abraham rebuilt the Bait-ul-Allah (House of Allah) at the site of the well, a building which had been originally constructed by Adam, and today is called the Kaaba, a building towards which all Muslims around the world face in prayer, five times each day.
Muslim tradition says that the well eventually disappeared because of the sins of the tribe of Jurhum, a controlling tribe of Mecca, who had perhaps filled in the Well when they were driven out of Mecca. The Well was then rediscovered by Muhammad's grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, who allegedly experienced a dream where the position of the Well was revealed to him.
The Zamzam Well was excavated by hand. It is about 30 meters deep and 1.08 to 2.66 meters in diameter. It taps groundwater from the wadi alluvium and some from the bedrock. Originally water from the well was drawn via ropes and buckets. Today, the well itself is in a basement room where it can be seen behind glass panels. Visitors are not allowed to enter. Electric pumps draw the water, which is made available throughout Masjid al-Haram via water fountains and dispensing containers near the Tawaf area.
Zamzam Well is considered to be within the Wadi Ibrahim (Valley of Abraham). The upper half of the well is in the sandy alluvium of the valley, lined with stone masonry except for the top meter which has a concrete "collar". The lower half is in the bedrock. Between the alluvium and the bedrock is a half-meter section of permeable weathered rock, lined with stone, and it is this section that provides the main water entry into the well. Water in the well comes from absorbed rainfall in the Wadi Ibrahim, as well as runoff from the local hills. Since the area has become more and more settled, water from absorbed rainfall on the Wadi Ibrahim has decreased.
