Subterranean city in Pearl of Persian Gulf

Kariz is a 2,500-year-old underground city in which visitors can saunter through its tunnels and enjoy an up-close view of the matchless feat of Iranian architecture.

Iran (IMNA) – Kish Island is a popular destination in Iran which attracts many tourists from around the world. One of the most magnificent features of this island is its massive subterranean city covering an area of 10,000 square meters. The city which is now called Kariz-e Kish, sited 16 meters beneath a flat ground surface. It was built about 2500 years ago by the inhabitants of Harireh city.

Kariz underground city is home to three ancient aqueducts and 274 wells that provide a window into the feats of Iran's bygone engineering. The only way to get the aqueducts was through a stairwell leading underground, where people could access the water.

The length of this aqueduct complex reaches 15 kilometers, and the temperature in this underground Kariz city is between 10 to 12 degrees centigrade cooler than the air outside.

The main ceiling and walls of the aqueduct are made of three separate layers. The first layer is made of corals, comprised mainly of shells and fossils. The second layer extending into the walls, is made of cap rock, which is a layer of hard and impervious rock, a mixture of clay and corals. The third layer is a unique designed coral wall drawn over the layer of clay to keep it in place after it has dried, giving it an old architecture.

The amount of water which flows through different layers decreases from top to bottom. Inside the subterranean, there were even underground tunnels which allowed sailing boats to enter the lowest level and collect drinking water from the lowest well.

News ID 429527

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