Qarisa

Qarisa is a settlement of eastern Tevra, in the south-central portion of the Qareya region. The city, situated in a deep river canyon and plain beyond, is the oldest continually inhabited human settlement on Menem, dating back more than 10,000 years. Its complex system of wells, pumps, canyon-top cisterns, and plumbing, is regarded as a technological marvel of the ancient world, in large part still serving the oldest districts of the modern city. These systems rely on the mechanical apparatus of the pumps and wells, but also on finely honed ecological systems involving the qaralla grain and its growing ponds, which produce not only ample foodstuff for the city but help clean waste water and cool the desert city.

Qarisa's systems of waste management, food production, and aquaculture have proven so successful that the ancient technologies have been adapted for use on board Union starships and for the extensive so-called Water Gardens aboard the two Union deep space stations, Paragon and Quintessence (called Parovir and Qarisa in their Uajiren names)

Agriculture
Like much of the surrounding region, the primary agricultural product of Qarisa is the staple crop qaralla. Indeed, the ancient builders of the city are widely believed to have been among the first to domesticate the wild grain, and its use spread out from the Qarisa to the rest of region. Qarisa continues to produce qaralla in a wider variety than any other settlement, with a number of cultivars being found only in the intricate aquaculture systems of the qaralla growing ponds, including their algae and fish. These systems are maintained by a combination of traditional practice and technical know-how, both handed down over generations, and gleaned from new scholars continuing to study the ancient constructions.