TEHRAN-The historical Panjireh Ab-Anbar (cistern) in the oasis city of Zavareh on the edge of the central desert of Iran in Isfahan province has undergone some rehabilitation works, a provincial tourism chief has said.

A budget of 300 million rials (about $7,100 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated to the restoration project, Mehdi Mashhadi said on Monday.

The term Ab-Anbar is common throughout Iran as a designation for roofed underground water cisterns. It associates with water management systems in arid areas that are reliant on permanent springs or on seasonal rainwater.

Such underground reservoirs or Ab-Anbars are parts of the iconic qanat systems, which rely on snow-fed streams flowing down from surrounding mountains.

Qanats, according to UNESCO, provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.

ABU/MG