Qanat of Mehriz — Deh-shir Qanat Chain (Mehriz Highland Qanat)
Mehriz Qanat · Deh-shir Qanat
Sasanian to Safavid (500–1700 CE)·Sasanian–Islamic·🇮🇷 Yazd Province, Mehriz County, Deh-shir plain between Yazd and Sirjan, Iran
About
About Qanat of Mehriz — Deh-shir Qanat Chain (Mehriz Highland Qanat)
Highland qanat chain at Deh-shir plain Mehriz County (1,450 m) with 18 km gallery from Shir Kuh massif (3,200 m) alluvial fan piedmont. Mother well 42 m at 1,850 m, 120 shafts (12–28 m) descending to Mehriz oasis (1,450 m). Unlike Zarch lowland qanat (already in DB at 31.98,54.12), Mehriz is piedmont gradient 0.18% with 1.2-m-high gallery to allow donkey passage for maintenance. Sasanian foundation, Safavid 1620 re-lining with gypsum plaster. Serves 280 ha pistachio terraces; discharge 18 L/s (winter). Part of ‘Persian Qanat’ UNESCO serial 1506 extension candidate.
Why it mattersKey hydraulic illustrating Sasanian–Islamic hydraulic/geoglyph/kite/kurgan tradition in Yazd Province, Mehriz County, Deh-shir plain between Yazd and Sirjan.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Sasanian mother well depth precision
Theories
- 01Piedmont vs lowland qanat technique
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.600 CE Sasanian initial
- Period
- Sasanian to Safavid (500–1700 CE)
- Culture
- Sasanian–Islamic
- Purpose
- Highland piedmont qanat feeding Mehriz oasis terraces and Yazd–Sirjan caravan route
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.600 CE Sasanian initial
Initial construction
2020
Drone/UAV high-resolution mapping and heritage inventory
On the ground
Structures & features
31.4500° N · 54.2500° E · 1450 m · 4 mapped features
Mother Well 42 m Shir Kuh Fan
hydraulic42-m mother well at 1,850 m Shir Kuh fan
31.4600° N · 54.2400° EGallery 18 km to Mehriz Oasis
aqueduct18-km gallery 1.2 m high with 120 shafts
31.4510° N · 54.2510° ESafavid 1620 Gypsum Re-lining
hydraulicGypsum plaster re-lining of gallery segment
31.4480° N · 54.2480° EPistachio Terraces 280 ha
landscape280 ha terrace field system fed by qanat
31.4490° N · 54.2510° E