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The Persian Qanat 1
The Persian Qanat 2
The Persian Qanat 3
The Persian Qanat 4
The Persian Qanat 5
© UNESCO World Heritage Centre
UNESCO WHCCulturalInscribed 2016

The Persian Qanat

Overview

Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometres. The eleven qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. The traditional communal management system still in place allows equitable and sustainable water sharing and distribution. The qanats provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.

About The Persian Qanat

A qanāt or kārīz (کَارِیز) is a water supply system that was developed in ancient Iran for the purpose of transporting usable water to the surface from an aquifer or a well through an underground aqueduct. Originating approximately 3,000 years ago, its function is essentially the same across the Middle East and North Africa, but it is known by a variety of regional names beyond today's Iran, including: kārēz in Afghanistan and Pakistan; foggāra in Algeria; khettāra in the Atlas Mountains; the daoudi-type falaj in Oman and the United Arab Emirates; and ʿuyūn in Saudi Arabia. In addition to those in Iran, the largest extant and functional qanats are located in Afghanistan, Xinjiang in China, Oman, and Pakistan.

Read more on Wikipedia

Selection Criteria

(iii)(iv)

Components(11 locations)

Details

Countries
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
ISO Codes
IR
Area
19,057 ha
Coordinates
34.2900, 58.6544
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