Early Islamic Water Reservoirs Discovered near Ardebil, Iran

The city of Ardebil reveals another treasure to Iranian archeologists in the form of buildings dating back to the early Islamic era.

Digs at the Boyni Yogun castle led to the discovery of a group of historical structures including a guardroom and four “Ab Anbars” (literally water storehouse) which were traditional reservoirs of drinking water in ancient Persia.

Ab Anbars are a fascinating innovation; they were made using a special mortar called “sarooj” which consisted of sand, clay, egg whites, lime and goats hair. These structures are subterranean, which made them highly resistant to massive earthquakes in the region.

The city of Ardebil is located in northwestern Iran about 70 km from the Caspian Sea and is thought to date back to the Achaemenid era (2500 BCE). If you enjoyed this post, never miss out on future posts by following me by email!