Sakia

A sakia (alternative spelling sakieh, also called "Persian wheel"; Arabic: ساقية‎, sāqīya), tympanum or tablia is a water wheel, somewhat similar to a noria, and used primarily in Egypt. It is a large hollow wheel, normally made of galvanized sheet steel, with scoops or buckets at the periphery. Its unique characteristic is that water is dispensed near the hub rather than from the top. It is a method of irrigation frequently met within various parts of India.

Sakias range in diameter from two to five metres. Though traditionally driven by draught animals, they are now increasingly attached to an engine. While animal-driven sakias can rotate at 2–4 rpm, motorised ones can make as much as 8–15 rpm.

A (animal driven) sakia can pump up water from 10 metres depth, and is thus considerably more efficient than a shadoof (which can only pump water from 3 metres).