Persian Qanat – World Cultural Heritage in Iran

Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements were supported by an ancient qanat system that mined alluvial aquifers at the top of the valleys and channeled the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often many kilometers long. Eleven qanat represent this system including the resting area for the workers, the reservoir and the watermill. Traditional community management systems are still in place to allow fair and sustainable sharing and distribution of water. The qanats provide exceptional evidence of cultural traditions and civilizations in desert regions with arid climates.

Accreditation year: 2016
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Area: 19,057 hectares
Buffer zone: 351,343 ha

Table of Contents

Outstanding global value

Each qanat consists of a nearly horizontal tunnel that collects water from a groundwater source, usually an alluvial fan, in which the mother well is submerged to the appropriate level of the aquifer. Well shafts are sunk at regular intervals along the tunnel route to eliminate damage and allow ventilation. They appear as craters from above, following the qanat stream from the water source to the agricultural settlement. Water is transported along underground tunnels, known as koshkan, by gravity due to the tunnel having a gentle slope to the exit (mazhar), from where the water is distributed by channels to the farmland of the shareholders.

The levels, slopes and lengths of the qanat are calculated using traditional methods that require the skills of experienced qanat craftsmen and have been handed down through the centuries. Many qanats have side branches and water access corridors for maintenance purposes, as well as ancillary structures that include resting areas for qanat workers, public and private hamams, water reservoirs and mortars water mill. Traditional community management systems are still in place to allow fair and sustainable sharing and distribution of water.

Criterion (iii): The Persian Qanat system is an exceptional example of the tradition of supplying water to arid regions to support settlements. The technological and community achievements of qanat played an important role of qanat in the formation of various civilizations. Its vital importance to the wider arid region is embodied in the name of Iran’s desert plateau, known as the “Qanat Civilization”. The dispersion of major settlements over the alluvial fans of Iran’s inner plateaus and deserts is immediately related to the distribution pattern of the qanat system across the country. The system also embodies a distinctive living cultural tradition of community water resource management.

Criterion (iv): The Persian Qanat system is an outstanding example of a technological ensemble illustrating key periods in the history of human occupation of arid and semi-arid regions. Based on complex calculations and exceptional architectural qualities, water is collected and transported by gravity alone over long distances, and these transport systems are maintained over centuries and sometimes is millennia. The qanat system facilitated settlements and agriculture but also inspired the creation of a desert-specific landscape and architectural style involving not only the qanats themselves but also the their related structures, such as reservoirs, plants, irrigation systems and gardens.

Integrity

The eleven qanats that make up this property are still active water carriers and retain not only their architectural and technological structure but also their functionality. They continue to provide the essential resource water to sustain Iranian settlements and gardens, and are maintained and managed through traditional systems of common management. These management systems are still intact and delivered from the distant past thanks to the collaboration of people and users.

To ensure the continued functioning of the qanat, intake areas are included in the buffer zone and have been committed to the highest level of protection given their essential function in the water supply. Likewise, agricultural areas exemplify the distribution and use of protected water resources through buffer zones to allow the qanat system to be fully protected in the long term.

Authenticity

The authenticity of eleven qanats has been respected in terms of design, technology, building materials, traditions, techniques, management systems as well as associations of intangible heritage based on knowledge of natural environment, materials technology and indigenous culture. Qanats has been founded and built on social cooperation, community trust and honesty and common sense. Furthermore, their stability and functionality has been managed, preserved, expanded and developed based on that joint cooperation.

Protection and management requirements

The eleven qanat covering this series are included in the National Register of Monuments of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The catchment areas and their irrigation have been included in specially designed protected areas with buffer zone status. Further building and finalizing the eleven-component inventory will assist in monitoring and communicating the full range of protected properties.

The Steering Committee is comprised of representatives from the Qanat Council and relevant government agencies including the Cultural Heritage Handicraft and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), the Natural Resources Organization, Agriculture, and Energy. Quality, Urban and Road Development, Environmental Protection Coordinating the overall management of the serial nomination. , Rural Housing Organization and other non-governmental organizations related to cultural heritage and the environment. Day-to-day regulatory concerns are reviewed through ICHHTO’s National Qanat Facility which operates through ICHHTO’s provincial offices. A Management Strategy and Action Plan were outlined at the time of nomination,

Eleven qanats are administered under the traditional supervision of qanat councils, each with a local qanat council composed of knowledgeable people in the respective area. The traditional management systems of the inscribed qanats contribute to their unique value but are also essential for them to continue to be preserved and passed on to future generations. Historical knowledge and craft skills preserved through generations need to be continuously handed down to ensure the future viability of this property. This management system, established by owners, distributors, consumers and ordinary people, has evolved and evolved over time, which has helped qanats survive to this day and will is the key to preserving them in the future..

The eleven qanats are further supported by financial and technical means through national resources, and management and conservation measures in all qanat are underway to respect the authenticity and their integrity.