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Central Asian qanat irrigation

Type Object Region Central Asia Time -800

Qanats (qanat/karez) are underground water-diversion irrigation systems of Central Asia and the Iranian Plateau, bringing mountain groundwater to ari…

Timeline

  1. 1161–1170Samarkand—Bukhara oasis · TransoxianaIn the 1160s, qanat systems around Samarkand and Bukhara operated in full, with muqannis (well-digging craftsmen) maintaining shafts and underground channels, bringing water from the Zarafshan River and mountain groundwater into fields growing wheat, cotton, grapes, and melons, providing staple food and horticultural products for the Silk Road hub cities.
  2. 1161–1170Turpan Basin · TurpanPlaces such as Turpan on the eastern edge of the Tarim Basin continued to use karez (qanat) irrigation, the technique having been introduced from Central Asia and combined with local waterworks; in the 1160s, under the rule of the Western Liao and local regimes, qanats supported oasis towns and Silk Road relay stations, forming a network of shared technical origins with the systems of Transoxiana.

Sources