Table of Contents
What is the source of water in Karez?
Karezes exploit unconfined groundwater in alluvial fans recharged largely by snowmelt from the Hindu Kush, the central mountain range of the country. Since the multi-year drought that began in 1998, many karezes have stopped flowing.
How does the qanat system work?
Each qanat comprises an almost horizontal tunnel collecting water from an underground water source, usually an alluvial fan, into which a mother well is sunk to the appropriate level of the aquifer. Well shafts are sunk at regular intervals along the route of the tunnel to enable removal of spoil and allow ventilation.
Where does water moving through a qanat come from?
Qanats are used to move water from underground aquifers deep inside a hillside to lower elevations. The system is simple and basically consists of a gently sloping horizontal shaft (called qanat channel in picture) and vertical access shafts.
Who invented qanat?
According to most sources, qanat technology was developed in ancient Iran by the Persian people sometime in the early 1st millennium BCE and spread from there slowly westward and eastward.
What is the purpose of karez?
The main function of a karez system is to provide irrigation water for agriculture. A cultivation system in karez-irrigated agriculture is based on the principle of making the best use of limited water. To prevent karez water from being wasted, a collective system of cultivation needs to be followed by the farmers.
What is Karez how it works?
Karez are constructed as a series of well-like vertical shafts, connected by sloping tunnels, which tap into subterranean water in a manner that efficiently delivers large quantities of water to the surface by gravity, without need for pumping.
How did Persians get water?
In a study by Russian orientalist scholars it has been mentioned that: the Persians used the side branches of rivers, mountain springs, wells and qanats to supply water. The subterranean galleries excavated to obtain groundwater were named as qanat.
What is at the bottom of the deep holes in Iran?
But a hundred feet below the mysterious pits, a narrow tunnel carries water from a distant aquifer to farms and villages that wouldn’t exist without it. These underground aqueducts, called qanats, are 3,000-year-old marvels of engineering, many of which are still in use throughout Iran.
How did Persia get water?
In a study by Russian orientalist scholars it has been mentioned that: the Persians used the side branches of rivers, mountain springs, wells and qanats to supply water.
What are the advantages of Karez system?
Karez allow water to be transported over long distances in hot dry climates without loss of much of the water to evaporation. The system has the advantage of being resistant to natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, and to deliberate destruction in war.
Where is karez used in Pakistan?
province of Balochistan
Karez irrigation is practised in 22 countries from China to Chile including Pakistan. In Pakistan it is confined to the province of Balochistan which has a tribal society. Karez is an old and stable irrigation system of Pakistan. It is a community enterprise managed by tribal tradition and run by social control.
What did Iranian invented?
From the postal service to the refrigerator, here are 10 inventions you probably didn’t know were Iranian.
- Human Rights.
- The Postal Service.
- The refrigerator.
- Algebra.
- Sulphuric acid.
- Chess.
- The guitar.
- Important discoveries in modern medicine.
Did Persians build aqueducts?
The complex system was well worth the effort, however. These underground aqueducts have allowed Iranians for millennia to access and transport water in some of its most arid regions. One of the most impressive examples is in the Fars province of south-west Iran.
How cold does a yakhchal get?
It shows that in winter the temperature occasionally drops to -5°C and in summer the temperature regularly exceeds 30°C and can reach 40°C.
How do Yakchals work?
A yakhchāl takes advantage of the low humidity in desert climates which promotes the evaporation of water (making evaporative cooling more effective) and promotes rapid cooling once the sun sets (water vapor inhibits radiative cooling in less arid climates).
Why is karez used in Balochistan?
In Balochistan, social station is not determined by landholdings but by the size of one’s share of water in a karez. These manmade underground channels passively tap groundwater and provide the lifeblood of villages at the valley floor.
How does a karez work?