TEHRAN –Qajar-era (1789-1925) Haj Mohammadreza Ab-Anbar (cistern) in Ardakan, a historical city in the central province of Yazd, has undergone some rehabilitation works, Ardakan’s tourism chief has said.

A brick parapet is being built to secure the cistern’s entrance as part of the restoration project, Mahmud Adiban announced on Tuesday.

The project also involves repairing the façade of the historical structure, the official added.

The cistern has two entrances, three wind towers (badgirs), and a square plan, and the brickwork on the building is quite beautiful.

The historical structure was inscribed on the national heritage list in 2002. 

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 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.

With its winding lanes, a forest of badgirs, mud-brick houses, atmospheric alleyways, and centuries of history, Yazd is a delightful place to stay, being referred to as a ‘don't miss’ destination by almost all travel associates in the region. The oasis city is wedged between the northern Dasht-e Kavir and the southern Dasht-e Lut on a flat plain ringed by mountains.

The province has an interesting mix of people as well, some 10 percent of whom follow the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism.

Yazd Jameh Mosque, Dowlatabad Garden, the Yazd Atash Behram, also known as Atashkadeh-e Yazd, Towers of Silence, and adjacent desert landscape are among its tourist sites.

ABU/MG