{"id":15185,"date":"2017-06-15T08:14:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T08:14:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/?p=15185"},"modified":"2026-10-17T21:14:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T21:14:21","slug":"abanbar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/abanbar\/","title":{"rendered":"Ab Anbar in Iran: Traditional Water Cisterns Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An <strong>ab anbar<\/strong> is a covered water cistern, usually built below ground. These reservoirs helped Iranian households and communities store water for dry periods. They are especially revealing features of desert architecture: much of the structure lies out of sight, beneath its entrance and roof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/abanbar\/#how-an-ab-anbar-stored-water\" >How an Ab Anbar Stored Water<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/abanbar\/#the-reservoir-roof-and-water-access\" >The Reservoir, Roof and Water Access<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/abanbar\/#how-the-water-stayed-cool\" >How the Water Stayed Cool<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/abanbar\/#reading-the-architecture-on-a-visit\" >Reading the Architecture on a Visit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-an-ab-anbar-stored-water\"><\/span>How an Ab Anbar Stored Water<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An ab anbar stores water; a <a href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/tangible-intangible-heritage-qanat\/\">qanat<\/a> carries it. The two could work together, with channels feeding a cistern from a qanat. Other reservoirs collected rainfall or seasonal runoff, depending on their location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Storage mattered when supplies varied through the year. Public cisterns served neighbourhoods and travellers along caravan routes, while private ones supplied individual homes. Their shape and capacity reflected local conditions rather than a single standard plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"the-reservoir-roof-and-water-access\"><\/span>The Reservoir, Roof and Water Access<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Builders lined storage chambers with masonry and a waterproof finish. <strong>Sarooj<\/strong>, a traditional mixture incorporating lime and clay, helped seal the interior. Keeping water in the tank was as important as bringing it there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many public cisterns had domed roofs. Some used a separate stairway descending to taps near the bottom of the reservoir, allowing people to draw water without entering the storage chamber. Other designs provided direct access to the water.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-entry_with_sidebar wp-image-15194\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1811\" height=\"707\" src=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01.jpg\" alt=\"Cross-section drawing of an ab anbar showing a domed reservoir and descending access stairs\" class=\"wp-image-15194\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01.jpg 1811w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-780x305.jpg 780w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-768x300.jpg 768w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-1024x400.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-1536x600.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-705x275.jpg 705w, https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar-01-450x176.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1811px) 100vw, 1811px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cross-section of an ab anbar, showing the reservoir and access passage. Source: ICQHS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-the-water-stayed-cool\"><\/span>How the Water Stayed Cool<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The surrounding ground and thick walls reduced heat gain. Ventilation towers, known as <strong>windcatchers<\/strong> or <em>badgirs<\/em>, helped circulate air in some cisterns. Not every ab anbar had windcatchers, and their designs varied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iranicaonline.org\/articles\/ab-anbar-ii-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Encyclopaedia Iranica account of cistern construction<\/a> explains these differences in water supply, ventilation and access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"reading-the-architecture-on-a-visit\"><\/span>Reading the Architecture on a Visit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When looking at a surviving cistern, follow the structure from the entrance to the roofline. Where did the water enter? How did people reach it? Does the building have ventilation towers? These questions help connect its visible features with the reservoir below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>Yazd<\/strong>, water cisterns belong to a wider historic landscape of qanats, courtyards and earthen buildings, described in <a href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/1544\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UNESCO\u2019s account of the historic city<\/a>. For broader context, explore our <a href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/persian-qanat\/\">guide to Persian qanats<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/whc.unesco.org\/en\/list\/1506\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UNESCO\u2019s Persian Qanat listing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If cisterns are a priority for your itinerary, ask which structures can currently be visited and whether their stairways are accessible. A <a href=\"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/iran-tailor-made-tours\/\">tailor-made cultural journey<\/a> can connect these buildings with the water systems and neighbourhoods around them.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover how Iran\u2019s ab anbar cisterns stored and cooled water, and learn which architectural details to look for when visiting these historic structures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":15193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,306],"tags":[659,5239,754],"class_list":["post-15185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tourism-iran","category-culture","tag-iran-silk-road","tag-qanat","tag-yazd"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ab-Anbar.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15185"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15185\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}