TEHRAN—Restoration work has commenced on a traditional mud-brick cistern, which is located in Sarayan county in South Khorasan province, northeastern Iran.

Sarayan’s Ab-Anbar (cistern), which dates from the Safavid era (1501–1736), has undergone some rehabilitation work that includes new pavement for the surrounding using traditional stones, a local tourism official said on Saturday.

Concurrently, a landscaping project is aimed at trimming open space and installing new benches and tourist facilities around the monument, the official said.

This cistern is in the form of a hand-carved chamber situated at a depth lower than a water channel, the official explained.

Locally named an Ab-Anbar, such underground reservoirs are part of the iconic qanat systems, which rely on snow-fed streams flowing down from surrounding mountains.

For thousands of years, qanat systems have supplied water to agricultural and permanent settlements in arid regions of Iran, tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers.

The concept of Persian Qanat was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016, representing a selection of eleven aqueducts across Iran. Qanats, according to UNESCO, provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.

South Khorasan is home to many historical and natural attractions, such as Birjand Castle, Dragon Cave, Furg Citadel, and Polond Desert. It is also known for its famous rugs as well as its saffron and barberry, which are produced in almost all parts of the province.

AM