Pleasing God, Serving the Citizens: Charity and Water Supply in Cairo and Baghdad

As Baghdad and Cairo were among the most populous cities of the medieval period, water management was of key importance to the survival of these urban areas. Many people and institutions were involved in this enterprise, from the ruling authorities undertaking large projects to the humble but vital water carriers. In the Islamic world, water provision was traditionally connected to charity as well, with various ḥadīths even presenting this as the best form of almsgiving. This chapter focuses on the role charity played in water provision in early Abbasid Baghdad (second–third century AH/eighth–ninth century CE) and Mamluk Cairo (ninth/fifteenth century), paying special attention to the institution of waqf (Islamic endowment), through which such charitable endeavours were often managed. By examining two reservoirs in Baghdad, the Pond of Zalzal and Hayl­āna’s Tank and the highly organised sabīls of Mamluk Cairo, where passers-by were offered a cup of fresh water, this comparative study uncovers interesting trends in the way charitable water provision was integrated into the urban fabric as well as in the motivations of, and expectations placed upon, members of different elite groups in their respective cities and time periods.