Map showing location of Turfan (upper right) on the Silk Route

The Turfan water system (locally called karez water system) in Turfan, located in the Turfan Depression, Xinjiang, China, is a qanat system that has been listed as one of the three greatest water projects of ancient China together with the Du Jiang Yan Irrigation System, and the Grand Canal.^[1] The karezes are an important invention by the Turpan people.^[2] The word karez means "well" in the local Uyghur language.^[3] Turfan has the Turfan Water Museum (a Protected Area of the People's Republic of China) dedicated to demonstrating its karez water system, as well as exhibiting other historical artifacts. Turfan's well system was crucial in Turfan's development as an important oasis stopover on the ancient Silk Route skirting the barren and hostile Taklamakan Desert. Turfan owes its prosperity to the water provided by its karez well system.^[4] position in China Street of Turfan View of the Flaming mountains Emin minaret, Turfan Turfan (Uyghur: تۇرپان; Uyghur latin: Turpan; Modern Chinese 吐魯番, Pinyin: TÇ”lÇ”fán; ) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sī chóu zhī lù) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan, China with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... A qanat, also known as karez, is a farming technology known to have developed in ancient Persia, and then spread to other cultures, especially along the Silk Road. ... position in China Street of Turfan View of the Flaming mountains Emin minaret, Turfan Turfan (Uyghur: تۇرپان; Uyghur latin: Turpan; Modern Chinese 吐魯番, Pinyin: TÇ”lÇ”fán; ) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Turfan Depression or Turpan Depression (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Uighur: تۇرپان ئويمانلىغى, Turpan OymanliÄŸi) is a fault located around and south of the city-oasis of Turfan, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in far western China, about 150 km southeast of the provincial capital Ãœrümqi. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... This article applies primarily to Iran A qanat (from Arabic: ) or kareez (from Persian: ) is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water to human settlements or for irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates. ... Du Jiang Yan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is an irrigation infastucture built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. ... Grand Canal of China The Grand Canal of China (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the longest ancient canal or artificial river in the world. ... Uyghur (‎/Uyghurche//, or ‎/Uyghur tili//)[1] is a Turkic language spoken by the Uyghur people in Xinjiang (also called East Turkestan or Uyghurstan), formerly also “Sinkiang” and “Chinese Turkestan,” a Central Asian region administered by China. ... Take note that many protected areas in China have multiple official designations, and the statutory boundaries of these multi-designated PAs may be identical or varied. ... For the English rock band, see Oasis (band). ... The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sī chóu zhī lù) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan, China with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... Dust storm in Taklamakan Desert from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan Desert (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

This system is to be distinguished from Qanat^[5] that originated in Persia and spread during west during Arab Muslim conquests, to the Iberian peninsula, southern Italy and North Africa.^[6] This article applies primarily to Iran A qanat (from Arabic: ) or kareez (from Persian: ) is a water management system used to provide a reliable supply of water to human settlements or for irrigation in hot, arid and semi-arid climates. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Age of the Caliphs  Expansion under the Prophet Muhammad, 622-632  Expansion during the Patriarchal Caliphate, 632-661  Expansion during the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750 The initial Muslim conquests (632–732), also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests,[1] began after the death of the Islamic prophet... The Umayyad conquest of Hispania (711–718) commenced when an army of the Umayyad Caliphate consisting largely of Moors, the Muslim inhabitants of Northwest Africa, invaded Visigothic Christian Hispania (Portugal and Spain) in the year 711. ... The Islamic conquest and domination of Sicily (as well as parts of southern Italy) is a process whose origin must be traced back in the general expansion of Islam from the 7th century onwards (see Muslim conquests for more details). ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad conquest of North Africa continued the century of rapid Arab Muslim expansion following the death of Mohammed in 632 CE. By 640 the Arabs controlled Mesopotamia, had invaded Armenia, and were concluding their conquest of Byzantine Syria. ...

Description

Underground canal, Turfan Water Museum at Turfan, Xinjiang, China

Water system model (Turfan Water Museum): Water is collected from mountains and channeled underground to agriculture fields

Turpan's karez water system is made up of a horizontal series of vertically dug wells that are then linked by underground water canals to collect water from the watershed surface runoff from the base of the Tian Shan Mountains and the nearby the Flaming Mountains. The canals channel the water to the surface, taking advantage of the current provided by the gravity of the downward slope of the Turfan Depression. The canals are mostly underground to reduce water evaporation.^[7] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 758 KB) Turpan 02/10/2005 es: Karez: es el nombre usado en Asia Central para el sistema de riego también conocido como Qanat. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 758 KB) Turpan 02/10/2005 es: Karez: es el nombre usado en Asia Central para el sistema de riego también conocido como Qanat. ... position in China Street of Turfan View of the Flaming mountains Emin minaret, Turfan Turfan (Uyghur: تۇرپان; Uyghur latin: Turpan; Modern Chinese 吐魯番, Pinyin: TÇ”lÇ”fán; ) is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 508 KB) Turpan 02/10/2005 es: Karez: es el nombre usado en Asia Central para el sistema de riego también conocido como Qanat. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1536x2048, 508 KB) Turpan 02/10/2005 es: Karez: es el nombre usado en Asia Central para el sistema de riego también conocido como Qanat. ... In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is locally perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field, i. ... Village pump redirects here, for information on Wikipedia project-related discussions, see Wikipedia:Village pump. ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ... The Tian Shan (Chinese: 天山; Pinyin: Tiān Shān; celestial mountains) mountain range is located in Central Asia, in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of western China. ... The Flaming Mountains The Flaming Mountains are barren, eroded, red sandstone hills in the Tian Shan Mountain range in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China. ... Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... A grade (or gradient) is the pitch of a slope, and is often expressed as a percent tangent, or rise over run. It is used to express the steepness of slope on a hill, stream, roof, railroad, or road, where zero indicates level (with respect to gravity) and increasing numbers... Vaporization redirects here. ...

The system has wells, dams and underground canals built to store the water and control the amount of water flow. Vertical wells are dug at various points to tap into the water current flowing down sloping land from the source, the mountain runoff. The water is then channeled through underground canals dug from the bottom of one well to the next well and then to the desired destination, Turfan's irrigation system.^[7] This irrigation system of special connected wells originated during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 24 AD).^[1] This article is about structures for water impoundment. ... A current is the rate of fluid flow, especially water or air. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ... Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (206 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–220 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication...

In Xinjiang, the greatest number of karez wells are in the Turfan Depression, where today there remain over 1100 karez wells and channels having a total length of over 5000 kilometers. The local geography makes karez wells practical for agricultural irrigation and other uses. Turfan is located in the second deepest geographical depression in the world, with over 4,000 square kilometers of land below sea level and with soil that forms a sturdy basin.^[7] Water naturally flows down from the nearby mountains during the rainy season in an underground current to the low depression basin under the desert. The Turfan summer is very hot and dry with periods of wind and blowing sand. The water from the underground channels provides a stable water source year round, independent of season.^[3] For the county in Shanxi province, see Xinjiang County. ... The Turfan Depression or Turpan Depression (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Uighur: تۇرپان ئويمانلىغى, Turpan OymanliÄŸi) is a fault located around and south of the city-oasis of Turfan, in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in far western China, about 150 km southeast of the provincial capital Ãœrümqi. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (blue outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (green lines) of a contiguous area. ...

Importance

Ample water was crucial to Turfan, so that the oasis city could service the many caravans on the Silk Route resting there near a route skirting the Taklamakan Desert. The caravans included merchant traders and missionaries with their armed escorts, animals including camels, sometimes numbering into the thousands, along with camel drivers, agents and other personnel, all of whom might stay for a week or more. The caravans needed pastures for their animals, resting facilities, trading bazaars for conducting business, and replenishment of food and water.^[4] A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. ... Dust storm in Taklamakan Desert from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan Desert (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... A merchant making up the account by Shiatsus Hokusai Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit. ... For other uses, see Missionary (disambiguation). ... The Grand Timcheh of Qoms Bazaar. ...

See also

• Taklamakan Desert
• Tarim Basin
• Cities along the Silk Road

Dust storm in Taklamakan Desert from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan Desert (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. ... The Silk Roads. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} Turpan -- Ancient Stop on the Silk Road. china.org.cn. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
2. ^ Turpan. chinatoday.com.cn. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
3. ^ ^{a b} Karez Well. www.xj.gov.cn. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.
4. ^ ^{a b} Boulnois, Luce (2005). Silk Road: Monks, Warriors & Merchants. Hong Kong: Odessey Books & Guides, pp 148–149, 201. ISBN 962-217-721-2. 
5. ^ Ahmad Y Hassan, Transfer Of Islamic Technology To The West, Part Ii: Transmission Of Islamic Engineering
6. ^ Transmission of Islamic Tecnology - Qanat. www.history-science-technology.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Karez (Qanats) of Turpan, China. water history.org. Retrieved on 2007-09-23.

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ahmad Y. al Hassan (born 1925) Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur: Historian of Islamic and Arabic science and technology. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Turfan Water museum

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Turfan karez

• Satellite map showing deep basin from Google
• Link to Silk Road map
• Turpan -- Ancient Stop on the Silk Road