Qanat

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/qanat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What language do people speak in Qanat?Persian (Farsi), Azeri, Kurdish, Arabic, and others
2. When was Qanat built?Origins trace back to at least the 8th century BCE in Persia
3. What is Qanat known for?Ingenious ancient system of underground water channels utilizing gravity
4. What is the capital/main city (example - iran)?Tehran
5. Where do qanats usually exist?They are found in very dry places in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Central Asia, like Iran, Oman, Yemen, and the UAE.
6. How do people build a qanat?Builders dig a vertical shaft called a mother well, then carve a long horizontal tunnel that gently slopes downward, lined with clay or stone to keep the water flowing.

Aquifer: An underground layer of rock or soil that holds and transmits groundwater.
Mirab: A traditional water master responsible for managing and distributing qanat water.