Fountain Girls

Fountains of the Islamic World
The Ancient Persians built extensive water distribution systems consisting of underground channels (Qanat), connected to smaller underground canals (kariz), which provided water for drinking, bathing and irrigation, and for the ornamental Persian gardens. It is not known if the Persians had gravity-powered fountains, or if they simply used wells and mechanical ways to lift water.
After the Arab invasions of the 7th century, the traditional design of the Persian garden was used in the Islamic garden. Persian and Islamic gardens after the 7th century were traditionally enclosed by walls and were designed to represent paradise; the Persian word for enclosed space is 'pairi-daeza.' The chahar bagh, or paradise garden, was laid out in the form of a cross, with four channels representing the rivers of paradise, dividing the four parts of world. Water sometimes spouted from a fountain in the center of the cross, representing the spring or fountain, Salsabil, described in the Qu'ran as the source of the rivers of Paradise.