Qanat
A qanat is a series of well-like holes and tunnels dug to reach a natural underground source of water, usually run-off from a mountain. They were (and are) used to provide water in the desert regions of the Middle East. The oldest qanats, found in the region once known as Persia (now known as Iran), are believed to be a couple of thousand years old.
Qanat Media
Qanat in Iran's Kashan surfacing within the Fin Garden in 2005; it is thought to have served Tepe Sialk for thousands of years.
Kariz surfacing in Niavaran, a district in the Iranian capital city of Tehran, currently used for watering the grounds of the National Library and Archives of Iran, 2005.
Alluvial fan in southern Iran. Image from the Terra satellite, operated by NASA, 2004.
Restored underground mill at Koushk-e-no, Yazd. A horizontal water wheel is on display
Wind tower and qanat used for cooling
A Persian ab anbar with wind towers connected to a qanat
The Yakhchāl of Kheshti, in Yazd Province, Iran
