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 The
underground city in the Persian Gulf Kish Island, known as
Kariz, will be restored and expanded using traditional
and modern architecture styles.
Mohammad Ali Raoufi, architect of the project, told the
Persian daily Iran, "Once the location is expanded,
not the whole adventure would end under the ground.
Rather, once they are out of, the visitors would be guided
to a castle from atop which they can enjoy a beautiful
view of the whole Kariz and the island."
He explained that the underground area approximates 18,000
square meters and said, "The tunnels and passages
inside the Kariz, which is an ancient aqueduct, have been
designed in a way that visitors would easily lose their
sense of direction. This is aimed to make the journey more
fascinating. Once they are out from a several-hour tour,
they can hardly tell the right direction."
He estimated that completion of the project would last
through 2006.
The unique project is funded privately by an Iranian
residing in Germany, Mansour Haji-Hosseini, who has a
profound love for his native country and culture.
"The 2,000-year-old Parthian aqueduct, known in Iran as Qanat
and Kariz, displays a matchless architecture style and
precision that is fascinating to both Iranian and
non-Iranian visitors. The fossils in the place are
believed to date back between 250 and 560 million
years," he explained.
"Thanks to the local managers' cooperation and the
private entrepreneur's enthusiasm, a large surface area
has been designed where special ceremonies and festivities
of various Iranian ethnic groups will be displayed. We
have been trying to display the splendor of Iranian
historic architecture inspired by ziggurat and other
ancient symbols."
People who were living on Kish Island centuries ago, with
their inherent Iranian intelligence and talent in building
aqueducts, dug the coralline layers of Kish Island in
search of potable water, and were rewarded with fresh
water. For centuries afterwards, the sweet water of Kish
Island not only relieved the thirst of local residents,
but was also exported to neighboring states and swapped
with sugar or cash.
The
Kariz is a unique phenomenon in the world. The visitors
will have the choice either to walk inside or to sail in
power/pedal boats and see its beauties.
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