Qanat

A qanat is a gently sloping underground channel that taps groundwater and carries it by gravity to the surface for irrigation or domestic use.

Mother well: A deep well at the uphill end of a qanat, where the underground channel reaches groundwater. It marks the groundwater source from which the qanat carries water.
Persian qanat: The qanat system developed in ancient Persia and used to bring groundwater to arid settlements and fields. Persian qanats are among the best-known historical examples of the technology.
Oasis: A fertile place in a desert where water supports vegetation and human settlement. Qanat outlets can sustain oasis agriculture and settlement.
Water rights: Legal and customary rules governing access to, allocation of, and use of water. Communities needed rules to divide qanat flows among users.
Water well: A shaft or borehole that provides access to groundwater for withdrawal. Unlike a typical well, a qanat conveys water through a sloping underground channel.
Qanat shaft: A vertical access shaft connecting the ground surface to an underground water channel. Workers use shafts to excavate, ventilate, and maintain the qanat.
Achaemenid Empire: An ancient Iranian empire that ruled from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE. Qanat construction expanded across territories under Achaemenid rule.
Subterranean aqueduct: An underground conduit that transports water from a source to a destination. Qanats belong to the broader family of underground water-conveyance systems.
Groundwater depletion: A decline in groundwater stored in an aquifer when withdrawals exceed replenishment. Excessive pumping can lower water levels and reduce qanat flow.
Aqueduct: A constructed system that transports water, often through elevated bridges or channels. Aqueducts commonly carry water above ground, while qanats tap groundwater underground.

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