The first well of this qanat line is 350 meters deep and survived large number of earthquakes throughout the history. Gonabad Qanat line has got the deepest well. The major reasons for the approval of these lines by the committee in UNESCO were: unique technologies in digging qanats, and unique features like the oldest or the longest. Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e Jonubi, Yazd, Kerman, Markazy & Esfahan.
They are located in six provinces of Iran: UNESCO has registered 11 lines of qanats in Iran that have been documented dating back rfrm 2500 to 200 years old. Qanat water supplement system has contributed to the formation and continuation of human settlements in vast areas of the world. Later, the Europeans took it to Spain and sailors took this ancient technology to Mexico. This system goes back to more than 2500 years ago in Iran and was spread form Iranian plateau all the way to China in the East and to Africa in the West. The destination is also remote areas, far from high hills and in the middle of the deserts where soil is fertile. The beginning of such lines are at higher altitudes where aquifer can penetrate into these channels and begin to flow. Qanat (kariz) is an Iranian invention of drilling wells in the lines of kilometers long and digging channels under the ground to connect them. Today most of the qanats can be found at this area. It’s where the population is less dense and agriculture is less common, or at least farmers cultivate different products. Living in arid and semi-arid regions, since ancient times, Iranians had to find a way to survive, produce food and create settlement to flourish and thrive. Across the ecologically varied territories of Iran, water is more scarce in the eastern half. It’s among the top-10 countries with the most historical attractions. Even more amazing, it’s among the top-5 countries with the most natural attractions too.
During the past few days, Iranian qanats as well as Iran’s Lut desert were registered by UNESCO. Iran has got a lot to offer to the World Heritage, from tangible sites to intangible traditions, beliefs, myths, etc.