Kariz Channels; It is the old underground water network system built in the Turfan region of Central Asia. These canals, which are considered to be one of the most important structures in the history of world civilization, were built under the desert by the Uyghur Turks. Built under the desert about 2500 years ago, these enormous structures are as tall as the Great Wall of China. The canals woven like a net under the desert are among the 3 great architectural wonders of China. The history of the canals, which were turned into a museum and opened to visitors, and the underground irrigation system are explained in detail.
Karız Canals carry the water they collect from the Tian Shan to the settlements in Turfan by passing them under the desert. Agricultural lands were irrigated with the help of intermittent wells drilled along the canal. The part between the Tian Shan and Turfan Region consists of extremely hot deserts. For this reason, these channels were built underground to prevent the evaporation of water. Kariz Channels, by China the Great Wall of China and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is considered the three great architectural wonders of Ancient China.
Advanced Knowledge Used in the Construction of Channels
The word Karız, that is, Kehriz; It means “custard” used in Anatolia today. This word; sebil means a fountain open to everyone’s use. Considered as the second wonder of civilization in the world, this structure comes in second place after the Great Wall of China, which is 6000 kilometers long. The total length of these channels, which are woven like a net under the desert, is over 5000 kilometers. Wells were drilled at regular intervals in the channels with a depth of 110 meters. These wells 90, 80, 70, 60 go below 10 meters in Turfan. All of these channels work with the force of gravity.
These canals, which were built by the Uighur Turks in 500 BC, were designed by making magnificent calculations. Advanced mathematics, physics and engineering skills were used to ensure the slope of the channels, the angle of the channels, the flow of water, and the right path of water. The techniques used in the construction of the canals indicate that they were a well-organized civilization with advanced knowledge. It is ensured that the water is brought to the surface without the need for a pump and the water is used in the most efficient way. It turns out that the Turks, who were introduced as a nomadic, barbarian people, were actually the people who created civilization. Many researches and findings by scientists have also shown that the first agricultural societies were established in Central Asia. In the dates before Christ, when the canals were built by the masters living in the Turfan Region, Sumerians It is estimated that they have the mathematics of the period.
With these canals, water was brought to the Turfan region by combining the melting snow and underground water resources in the Tanrı Mountains. The water needs of agricultural areas, villages and settlements below sea level have been met. These canals, which carry an average of 200 cubic meters of water every year, are considered as the life source of the Turfan Region, which is a plain region where it rains very little. There are more than 1000 Karız Canals with different lengths in the Turfan region. Each of the channels has steep wells, underground channel, surface channel and dams.
During the construction of the canals, vertical wells were drilled at intervals of 20 to 30 meters to allow the workers to breathe and to discharge the excavated soil and mud. The dams in the canals acted as water reservoirs that regulate the amount of water. It is known that workers can only work while sitting in the construction of canals. Today, these canals, which have been converted into museums, continue to operate without any problems, carry water and are a source of life for the Turfan region. Today, it has not been determined exactly how the measurements used in the construction of the canals were made.
