TEHRAN - After more than five decades of silence, the people of Bam in southeastern Iran have revived an ancient tradition honoring qanats – the man-made subterranean aqueducts that sustained life in this arid region for centuries.

On Wednesday, a traditional ceremony of casting flowers and rosewater on the flowing waters of qanats was held in Bam, southern Iran.

The event coincided with the National Day of Qanats in Iran, which falls 40 days after Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which is a period when qanats typically reach peak water flow.

Historically, this day marked the symbolic beginning of the annual maintenance work in the qanats. In the past, local well diggers, known as moqannis, would enter the aqueducts after performing ablution, carrying flowers and sprinkling rosewater in honor of the precious water sources. This act not only signified reverence for nature but also expressed gratitude for the ingenuity of ancestors who developed this vital water system.

The practice, which had faded from memory for over half a century, was officially revived in 2022. It aims to reconnect the local community with its cultural heritage and raise awareness about the importance of preserving qanats - a system recognized by UNESCO for its historical and technological significance.

Participants in the ceremony said they had come to honor their ancestors and to express thanks for the knowledge and traditions passed down through generations, many of which have been recognized internationally under the name of Iran.

In 2016, a selection of eleven qanats was collectively inscribed as World Heritage under the title of The Persian Qanat. Each of them epitomizes many others in terms of geographic scopes, architectural designs, and other motives. Such subterranean tunnels provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.

Generally, each qanat comprises an almost horizontal tunnel for collecting water from an underground water source, usually an alluvial fan, into which a mother well is sunk to the appropriate level of the aquifer.

UNESCO has it that “The qanats provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.”

AM