Iran, located within the arid and semi-arid belt of the world, has always faced limitations in water resources. The people of this land, understanding the climatic conditions and the need for resource management, developed advanced systems for supplying, transferring, and storing water from millennia ago. Many of these methods were not only innovative for their time but are still used in parts of the country today.
The qanat is the most iconic water technology of ancient Iran, dating back around 3,000 years. This method involved digging multiple wells and creating an underground channel to guide water from aquifers to the surface.
Advantages:
Reduced evaporation
Continuous water supply
Capability for widespread irrigation
Historical Example: The qanats of Gonabad (Qasabeh Qanat), listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In regions where qanat construction was not feasible, people accessed water by digging deep wells. Tools such as water wheels, buckets, and oxen-powered mechanisms were used to extract water. This method was common in plains and lowlands.
In desert and urban areas, water reservoirs were built to store water during dry seasons. These structures featured advanced architecture:
Thick domes to reduce evaporation
Windcatchers for ventilation and cooling
Sedimentation basins for partial purification
Iranians were among the first civilizations to build dams. The primary purpose of these dams was to store water and control floods.
Kabār Dam (Qom): The oldest arch dam in the world, dating back to the Sassanid era.
Darius Dam (Karkheh – Khuzestan): From the Achaemenid period, showcasing high engineering capabilities in water resource management.
To transfer water from rivers to farmlands, canal networks were constructed. These systems were part of traditional irrigation methods, especially in regions like Khuzestan (Elamite and later Achaemenid civilizations). A prominent example is the Shushtar Hydraulic System, built during the Sassanid era and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Water management in ancient Iran was not merely an economic or agricultural necessity—it was the cornerstone of civilization in this land. Innovations such as qanats, dams, and reservoirs reflect the ingenuity of Iranians in adapting to a dry climate and represent a valuable heritage in global water engineering.
Keywords: Water supply methods in Iran – Water management in Iran – History of water in Iran – Water crisis – Drought