Also known as: Kariz-e-Kish

The aqueducts of Kish Island in the Persian Gulf date back to 2,500 years ago. It once provided the islanders’ drinking water. Today, it is transformed into an amazing underground city, with an area of 10,000 square meters. The complex is now called Kariz-e Kish. Now, Kariz has opened up a new exceptional chapter for all nature lovers who are able to visit the largest coral collection directly. Various other facilities, such as residential, shopping, and leisure centres in an area of 60,000 square meters will be built on Kariz grounds.

Before the Roman aqueduct, the people of pre-Islamic Iran had developed their own hydraulic system called a qanat. A qanat is a series of vertical wells, built along a gentle slope to filter water toward arid areas. The Kish Qanat is an excellent example of this ancient technology and provides visitors with an opportunity to get face to face with the infrastructure of this amazing hydraulic system.
The Kish Qanat is over 2,500 years old and filters water from the mountains to the dry valleys below through layers of the coral that comprise the island’s foundation. Kish is one of the only islands in the world that is made up of coral, and tunneling into the earth there allows for a unique look at the usually underwater specimen.
Sixteen meters below the coral island, a series of tunnels near the wells snake through the earth for more than five miles. As the tunnels cut below the world, the Kish Qanat begins to look more like a massive underground city. Lately, architects hoping to draw tourists to the attraction have embraced that idea even more.

Along with the historic coral walls around the qanat, workers have reinforced the tunnels with mortar and stone to create a subterranean world. Soon, visitors can peruse an update on the early hydraulic system that will feature vendors selling typical Iranian gifts along with a few subterranean restaurants and an amphitheater. Strangely enough, the unique historic element of the island is slowly mimicking its inner tourism side.