By Faranak Bakhtiari

Qanat, a solution to water scarcity?

For many years, the country has been suffering from droughts and lack of water resources; wetlands, rivers, lakes and open drains have dried up gradually. While experts believe that the current water scarcity is due to poor water management policies, do qanats give us the right policy?

Ashtian’s handmade soap added to national heritage list

TEHRAN - The centuries-old art of soap making in Ashtian, a city in west-central Iran, has been registered on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Centuries-old water supply system discovered in Iran

TEHRAN – A team of Iranian archaeologists has found remnants of a centuries-old network, which used to supply water to an underground “city” in central Iran.

Qanats offer clues to ancient way of life in Iran

TEHRAN – For thousands of years, qanat systems have supplied water to agricultural and permanent settlements in arid regions of Iran, tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers.

Iran’s saffron farming system wins FAO world heritage status

TEHRAN – A traditional saffron cultivation system in Iran has won recognition from FAO as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).

Ancient qanat found in southern Iran

TEHRAN – Residents of Rostaq, a rural district in Iran’s southern Fars province, have discovered an ancient qanat, which is estimated to date from some 2,000 years ago.

Yazd to be first destination for water tourism in Iran

TEHRAN – Yazd will be the first destination for water tourism, an initiative that Iran Water House, a Tehran-based educational institution, aims to operate across Iran, ISNA reported on Saturday.

120,000 qanats documented in Iran

TEHRAN – Some 120,000 qanats - ancient subsurface water supply systems - have been documented so far across Iran, a cultural heritage official has said.

37,000 qanats still in use across Iran

TEHRAN – Some 37,000 out of a total of 120,000 ancient subsurface water supply systems, qanats, are still in use in Iran in arid and semi-arid regions of the country, a cultural heritage official said on Friday.

World Heritage Volunteers help raise awareness of Persian qanats

TEHRAN – A cluster of World Heritage Volunteers has spotlighted essentials to conserve and promote Persian qanats, a UNESCO registered heritage that provides exceptional testimony to cultural traditions in desert areas with an arid climate.

Subterranean waterways offer clues to ancient way of life in Iran

Throughout the arid regions of Iran, mainly central parts of the country, agricultural and permanent settlements have been supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers.