Qanats
Curated by: Brick
Embedded Files
The Invention
The qanats of Persia started as the need for water. Aqueducts had been made and used but no water transport had been reliable and efficient. The idea of qanats came from King Sargon II who had seen similar inventions. Qanats are made by digging a tunnel downhill so that water can flow down. Qanats are underground aquifers that have wells built up for harvest. Original qanats were made by packing mud in tunnels to collect groundwater, but today qanats use pipes and tarps to collect water.
What did they do?
Qanats helped transport water to farmers and civilians. Water transport was very important in the dry desert climates of Persia. The use of qanats helped Persia gain an advantage on other civilizations by storing and transporting water. While Persia could move water the Greeks could not as efficiently.
This is a more modern day qanat; this form of qanat would be used on flatter ground. This is why it has a more narrow tunnel design.
Where Were They Used?
While qanats were unique to Persia for the most part, but they were spread around the Arabian world. The Silk Road was lined with qanats to help transport water along the path. Trading towns where travelers would stay would have wells that branch from qanats. Qanats are still used today but they are no longer the main water transport. Qanats were used in China but were never widely spread due to mountainous terrains. China was the only distant civilization that used qanats. Many desert regions around Persia used and still use qanats but were not nearly as powerful as Persia.
What Made Them Important?
In being the first efficient form of water irrigation that used no energy after creation, qanats were unique and impressive. Qanats were invented but not published; this means that Persians knew it existed but it was unknown to any outsiders. Persia took a tactical advantage over other civilizations and gained lots of power. Qanats were just advanced aquifers but made the difference between Persia and Greece so much larger. Persia had good land and position for battle, but Greece had a poor position and were stranded on a peninsula. The two were equal with Persia having little water and Greece having a good amount; when Persia could transport water they stacked odds against the Greeks and became superpowers. Alas Persia was the most powerful due to the Qanats. Making the invention all the more important.
Websites
Websites
The Persian Quant - A website with information, maps, and pictures of the Quants.
Iran’s ancient engineering marvel - A short article on the creation of the Quant.
Quant - A scholarly source about the history of the Quant system.
Page updated
Report abuse