A qanat is a gravity-fed underground water system consisting of a gently sloping tunnel that carries water from an upland aquifer to the surface, dug and maintained through a line of vertical access shafts spaced roughly 20 to 35 meters apart along its length. The technology was developed in ancient Iran, on the Persian plateau, roughly 3,000 years ago, and spread both east and west from there, reaching Egypt by around 522 to 486 BC under the Achaemenid king Darius I. Because the water travels underground the entire way, a qanat loses little to evaporation even in an arid climate, letting settlements draw a steady year-round supply from mountain aquifers without ever needing a pump.
Facts
Partially Attested
YearSource states only "the early 1st millennium BCE"; no exact year given, so an approximate value (900 BC) is used, written as a negative year. SignificanceProving crucial to water supply in areas with hot and dry climates, a qanat enables water to be transported over long distances by largely eliminating the risk of much of it evaporating on the journey. 1 Qanat
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FAQs
How does a qanat move water without pumps?
Gravity carries the water through an underground channel from the groundwater to a lower outlet.
A qanat relies on gravity. It taps into groundwater and delivers it to the surface at a lower level some distance away, which eliminates the need for pumping. The vertical shafts along the underground channel are there for maintenance.
Connections
Sources
1. Qanat - Wikipedia
Origins section, first paragraph
According to most sources, qanat technology was developed by the ancient Iranians sometime in the early 1st millennium BCE and slowly spread westward and eastward from there.
Lead section, introductory paragraph
Proving crucial to water supply in areas with hot and dry climates, a qanat enables water to be transported over long distances by largely eliminating the risk of much of it evaporating on the journey.
In Field: Civil Engineering, Categories
Irrigation
In Group: Traditional Water Supply and Lifting Works, Introduction
A qanāt (Persian: قَنَات) 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.
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