The island of Kish is a resort island located off the coast of Iran.
Although it is well known as a tourist destination, it is also steeped
in history. One of the most magnificent features of this island is its
massive subterranean city covering an area of 10,000 square metres,
constructed from its ancient underground aqueduct (or ‘kariz’).
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The kariz of Kish is said to have been built about 2500 years ago by the
inhabitants of Harireh city. This structure was built to collect,
purify, and store water for the inhabitants of the island. As the island
is situated in a region with an arid climate, this was essential for
their survival.
Water would have been first collected from interconnected wells in an
area of 14 km². Using the principle of differential pressure, water from
the wells was raised from the water table to the kariz. The water was
then conducted to a central filter shaft. This shaft was filled with
three layers of filter material. The top layer was coral gravel, which
filtered the bigger solids brought along by the water, and neutralised
the water’s acids.
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The next layer was coral grit with clay, and this filtered the finer
solids. The last layer consisted of marn, a special sort of clay which
filtered the finest solids. As different ‘grades’ of water would be
suitable for different usage, the inhabitants of Kish would collect
water from different heights of the filter shaft. Since the best quality
of water was found at the bottom, this was used for drinking. On the
other hand, water that went through the first layer of filtration would
have been good enough for the irrigation of agricultural fields.
Interestingly, there were also underground tunnels that allowed small
boats to enter at the lowest level and collect drinking water from the
lowest well.
The kariz of Kish was abandoned a long time ago, and was forgotten by
the inhabitants of the island. In addition, modern technology has made
the water filtration process much more efficient, which means that the
ancient system would have been obsolete anyway. In 1999, the island
embarked on a project to build an underground shopping complex. This
resulted in the rediscovery of the ancient kariz.
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Instead of demolishing the kariz to make room for the shopping complex,
the developers decided to incorporate the latter into the former. While
the historic coral walls that surround the kariz were left on their own,
the tunnels were reinforced with modern mortar and stone. This
combination of ancient and modern served to create a unique subterranean
world. This ancient structure is further modernised by the presence of
shops and restaurants, traditional teahouses, amphitheatres, conference
centres, and even art galleries. Nevertheless, the developers have not
forgotten the kariz’s ancient function, and it is once more fulfilling
its role as a water filter, although the filtered water is used mainly
for irrigation purposes.
For me, the most striking aspect of this story is the fact that the
ancient and the modern can co-exist together harmoniously. Furthermore,
the old and the new serve to enhance, rather than diminish, one another.
It is this blend of the past and the present that, I feel, makes the
kariz such a unique site. In today’s society, there seems to be a
certain belief that in order to progress, the shackles of the past have
to be cast down. Yet, to forget about the past is a dangerous road to
take. Besides, sometimes, the past and the present can be kept together
without the need to choose one over the other. This is especially so
when both elements complement, rather than compete with each other.
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