Izwe LaseParis Elisemathunjini Omhlaba

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eFrance

NGISHAYA ucingo ngokuxhamazela nginethemba lokuthi othile uzoluphendula. Ngithi: “Sawubona! Sawubona! Izikhiye zemoto yami ziwele epayipini! Ngicela nize ngokushesha!” Iqembu elikhethekile lezisebenzi zamapayipi endle lifika ngokushesha. Umsebenzi walo ukuvula amapayipi endle avalekile, lidonse ukungcola okunqwabelene ezindaweni ezingaphansi futhi likhiphe nezikhiye, izibuko, izikhwama zemali ngisho nezilwane ezifuywayo ezivame ukunyamalala emapayipini aseParis angu-18 000. Lazithola izikhiye zami, ngakhululeka, ngabonga nganconcoza.

Ngakusasa nganquma ukuvakashela iMusée des Égouts (Umnyuziyamu Wamapayipi Endle) esifundeni esisoSebeni Lwesobunxele soMfula iSeine, obhekene nezikebhe zethu zasemfuleni ezidumile futhi lapho kukhona ne-Eiffel Tower. Iminyaka engaba ngu-130, iParis ibiziqhenya ngokubukisa ngezwe layo elisemathunjini omhlaba. Ngathola isizathu ngokulingisa abantu abanelukuluku lokwazi abangaphezu kuka-90 000 abavakashela lo mnyuziyamu ovelele unyaka ngamunye. Hlanganyela nami njengoba ngibuka lokho umlobi waseFrance odumile wekhulu le-19 uVictor Hugo akubiza ngokuthi “amathumbu kaLeviyathani”—amapayipi endle aseParis.

“Amathumbu” Afinyelelekayo

Njengoba sengehle ibanga elingamamitha amahlanu ngaphansi komhlaba, ngibona umbukiso wokuqala walo mnyuziyamu—isitetelegu segundane. Linyantisa umzimba! Kuthiwa kunamagundane amathathu ngesakhamuzi ngasinye saseParis, adla ngisho nobuthi obunzima ngaphandle kwenkinga. Ondlekile ngempela. Usuku ngalunye amagundane adla amathani ayikhulu, noma ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zendle.

Amatshe, izipikili, izikhiye nezinye izinto ezisindayo kuxubana namanzi endle nemvula, kuvale amapayipi. Kuwo lowo msindo wamanzi ahazayo, ngahlola imishini ekhuculula indawo engamakhilomitha angu-2 100 yaleli “thumbu.” Unyaka ngamunye cishe izisebenzi zamapayipi endle eziyinkulungwane zikhipha indle engama-cubic meter angu-15 000. Ukuba luthuqusi kwale ndawo, amanzi angcolile amaningi, izindonga ezimincikayo, nokukhuphuka ngokungazelelwe kwezinga lamanzi kungenza izisebenzi zamapayipi endle zithwale kanzima.

Nokho, amapayipi amakhulu aguduza eduze kophahla lwamapayipi endle, anoxhaxha lwamapayipi amanzi, izintambo zocingo namakhebula amarobhothi.

Kwaqala NgamaRoma

AmaRoma kwakungabantu bokuqala abafaka amapayipi endle eParis. Amapayipi endle aseRoma angaba ngamamitha angu-18 asesezindlini zangasese zaseRoma ezazinamanzi ashisayo esezawa eLatin Quarter. Kodwa lapho uMbuso wamaRoma uwa, inhlanzeko ayibange isanakwa. IParis yahlala ingcolile futhi ingenampilo amakhulu eminyaka, inamapayipi endle ayisisekelo kuphela (izitamukoko ziphakathi nemigwaqo) noma imisele okugeleza kuyo amanzi endle. Imisele yayinuka phú futhi yayiwumthombo wamagciwane. Ngo-1131 indodana endala yeNkosi uLouis VI yabulawa amagciwane ngemva kokuwela epayipini lendle elalivulekile.

Kwakulahlwa udoti emapayipini avulekile, kanjalo nalawo ambalwa akhiwa kabusha ayembozekile, ayegcwala udoti ngokushesha. Okwakwenza izinto zibe zimbi nakakhulu, ukuthi uma izinga lamanzi oMfula iSeine likhuphuka, amapayipi endle ayekhipha udaka olunukayo nendle. Ngaleso sikhathi, amapayipi endle eParis ayemancane kakhulu. Ngo-1636 ipayipi elalingamakhilomitha angu-23 kuphela ubude lalichitha indle yabantu abangu-415 000. Ekhulwini leminyaka nengxenye kamuva, lalenezelwe ngamakhilomitha amathathu nje kuphela. Ngesikhathi sikaNapoléon, lase livaleke ngcí.

Ngekhulu le-19, amapayipi ayekhona ahlolwa abe eseyavulwa. Kwatholakala ukuthi anemihubhe cishe engamakhulu amabili, eminingi eyayingaziwa. Akhishwa kanjani amathani odaka olwase lunamakhulu eminyaka? Kwaduma ukuthi kwakuzotholakala amagugu ngaphansi kwemigwaqo yaseParis. Ngakho-ke, inqwaba yabantu abahahayo abafuna ingcebo yathutheleka ngezinkani. Babhoxoza odakeni, bekhipha izinhlamvu zemali, amagugu okuhloba nezikhali.

Ukuhlela Amapayipi Endle

Ekugcineni amapayipi endle ahlelwa, akhiwa ngendlela yesimanje, andiswa futhi axhunywa emzini ngamunye. Kwasetshenziswa amapayipi amakhulu ngokwanele ukuba amelane nezikhukhula ezingalindelekile. Ngo-1878, imizila engamakhilomitha angu-650 okwakungahamba kuyo izikebhe yayingaphansi kwemigudu emikhulu. “Amapayipi endle asehlanzekile, . . . avaliwe phezulu,” kubhala uVictor Hugo.

Phakathi nekhulu lama-20, inani lamapayipi laphindeka kabili. Futhi amapayipi endle yiwo abonakalisa kahle ukuthi leli dolobha linjani. Kanjani? Ipayipi ngalinye linegama lomgwaqo elikuwo kanye nelesakhiwo esingaphezulu. Kusukela ngo-1991 uye waqhubeka umkhankaso wokulungisa ngemali engamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili. Ukulungiswa kwale ndawo ebalulekile, emumatha amanzi angama-cubic meter ayizigidi ezimbili ngosuku, okwathatha iminyaka eyishumi, kuhlanganisa ukufaka imishini yokuhlanza nemishini elawulwa yi-computer.

Ngibheke phambili ekuphefumuleni umoya ovamile waseParis, ngifika ekugcineni kohambo. Nokho, ukubuka kwami ingaphansi lomhlaba akukapheli. “Ukuze ubone izindawo ezijulile ngempela zaseParis, hamba uye emigedeni yokungcwaba,” kutusa umdayisi wezinto eziyizikhumbuzo. “Ebangeni elingamamitha angu-20 ngaphansi komhlaba kugcwele amathambo abantu abayizigidi eziyisithupha.” Avelaphi?

Amasonto Angcolisa Umoya

Imigede yamathuna aseParis—indawo yamathuna engaphansi komhlaba—kwafakwa kuyo amathambo ngekhulu le-18. Kusukela eNkathini Ephakathi, abantu babengcwatshwa emasontweni noma eduze kwawo. Lokhu kwakungenisa imali esontweni kodwa kuwumkhuba ongcolile, njengoba izindawo zamathuna zazikhona phakathi edolobheni. Kwabethusa kakhulu omakhelwane bendawo yamathuna enkulu kunazo zonke eParis, iSaints-Innocents, engamamitha-skwele angu-7 000, ukuba kungcwatshwe kuyo abantu abavela emasontweni angaba ngu-20, kanye nezidumbu ezingaziwa nezisulu zezifo.

Ngo-1418, isifo i-Black Death sanezela izidumbu ezingaba ngu-50 000. Ngo-1572, izigidi zezisulu zesibhicongo soSuku lukaSanta uBartholomew zaminyaniswa eSaints-Innocents.a Umphakathi wacela ukuba le ndawo yamathuna ivalwe. Izidumbu ezingaba yizigidi ezimbili, ngezinye izikhathi ezinqwabelene endaweni engaba ngamamitha ayishumi ukuya phansi, zazikhuphule izinga lenhlabathi ngebanga elingaphezu kwamamitha amabili. Le ndawo yamathuna yayiwumthombo wamagciwane, futhi yayikhipha iphunga elibolile, okuthiwa lalivuthwisa ubisi lube amasi noma lenze iwayini libabe. Nokho, abefundisi bamelana nokuvalwa kwezindawo zokungcwaba ezisedolobheni.

Ngo-1780 ithuna lomphakathi lavuleka futhi lakhiphela izidumbu ezindaweni ezingaphansi komhlaba. Kwase kufike ekugcineni! Indawo yamathuna yavalwa; futhi ukungcwaba eParis, kwenqatshelwa. Inqwaba yezidumbu ezazingcwatshwe ndawonye, yakhishelwa emigodini eyayingasebenzi eTombe-Issoire. Ubusuku ngabunye, izinyanga ezingu-15, uhide lwezinqola ezigadiwe ezinukayo lwaluthutha amathambo. Lo msebenzi wandiswa ukuba uhlanganise ezinye izindawo zamathuna ezingu-17 nezindawo ezingu-300 zokukhulekela. Amathambo alahlwa emgodini ongamamitha angu-17,5 ukushona phansi, lapho manje okunezitebhisi ezisuka emgwaqweni ziya phansi emigedeni yamathuna.

Ukuvakashela Imigede Yamathuna YaseParis

Ukusuka eDenfert-Rochereau Square, engaseningizimu yeLatin Quarter yaseParis, ngehla ngezitebhisi ezingu-91 ngiya emigedeni yokungcwaba. Ngo-1787 izindlovukazi zasebukhosini zaziphakathi kwabokuqala ababona lendawo yokungcwaba engaphansi komhlaba ikhanyiswe ngezibani. Namuhla, kufika izivakashi ezingu-160 000 unyaka ngamunye.

Ngemva kwezitebhisi kuvela uchungechunge lwemihume emide okugcinwa kuyo izidumbu oyibuka kuze kuphele amehlo. Ngihamba ngokucophelela, ngicabanga ngokuthi le migede yamathuna ingaphezu kwamamitha-skwele angu-11 000. Indoda egama layo linguPhilibert Aspairt yathola udumo engalufunanga lapho izama ukudlula kule mihume engamakhulu amakhilomitha. Ngo-1793 yalahleka kule nxanxathela. Uhlaka lwamathambo ayo lwatholakala eminyakeni engu-11 kamuva, lwabonakala ngezikhiye nezingubo zayo.

Indawo yaseParis engaba ngamaphesenti angu-30 iye yambiwa. Isikhathi eside, ukumba kwakungalawulwa. Nokho, ngo-1774, amamitha angu-300 e-rue d’Enfer (iHell Street, manje osuyiDenfert-Rochereau) ashona phansi emgodini omkhulu ojule ngamamitha angu-30. IParis yayisengozini yokugwinywa umhlaba. Amatshe “esiwabona phezu komhlabathi kufanele ngabe angaphansi kwezinyawo zethu,” kubabaza omunye umlobi. Ukuze kusekelwe le mihubhe emide engaphansi, kwakhiwa amakhothamo amahle.

“Kubi nje ukuthi abazange bagandaye phansi lapho bewakha,” ngisho ngokudabuka, ngibheka izicathulo zami ezinodaka. Ngishelela odakeni, ngakwazi ukubambelela esivalweni se-bronze esisindayo. Ngemva kwesivalo kunephasishi elinodonga olwakhiwe ngamathambo abantu. Kwakwesabisa ukubona izingebhezi ezimbi namathambo amathanga avendlezekile nawemilenze ehlelwe ngemigqa eyakha iziphambano nemiqhele. Kunezingqwembe eziqoshwe amavesi eBhayibheli nezinkondlo ezibonisa ukucabanga komuntu ngenjongo yokuphila nokufa.

Lapho ngiphuma emigedeni yamathuna, ngageza udaka ezicathulweni zami emseleni wamanzi, ngaqiniseka ukuthi izikhiye zami aziphindi ziwele emapayipini aseParis! Uhambo lwami ezweni laseParis elisemathunjini omhlaba elithakazelisayo luye lwaba isenzakalo esingavamile engingeke ngisikhohlwe kalula. Ngokungangabazeki, kunokuningi eParis kunalokho esikubona ngaphandle.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Indawo evulekile engxenyeni yamapayipi endle aseParis

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Valentin, Musée Carnavalet, © Photothèque des Musées de la Ville de Paris/Cliché: Giet

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Ukuvakashela amapayipi endle

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J. Pelcoq, The Boat, Musée Carnavalet, © Photothèque des Musées de la Ville de Paris/Cliché: Giet

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Umfanekiso ovundlile wamapayipi endle aseParis

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Ferat, Musée Carnavalet, © Photothèque des Musées de la Ville de Paris/Cliché: Briant

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Izingebhezi ezimbi namathambo avendlezekile ama-thanga amiswe ngezinhlu akha iziphambano nemiqhele

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Umbhalo oqoshiwe ngasendaweni yokuphuma: “Udosi lokufa isono.”—1 Korinte 15:56, “King James Version”

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Imishini yokuhlanza amapayipi endle

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Map background on pages 24-7: Encyclopædia Britannica/9th Edition (1899)