What is Qanat?

A Qanat  is a gently sloping underground channel with a series of vertical access shafts, used to transport water from an aquifer under a hill. Qanats create a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid, and semi-arid climates (wiki pedia)

Qanat is the Arabic word for "channel". Qanats are also called kariz ( from Persian ‎‎) (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, derived from Persian: kahriz (Azerbaijan); khettara or falaj (Morocco); galería (Spain); falaj (from Arabic: Falaj‎ (United Arab Emirates and Oman); Kahn (Baloch) or foggara/fughara (North Africa). Alternative terms for qanats in Asia and North Africa are kakuriz, chin-avulz, and mayun. Common variants of qanat in English include qanat, kanat, khanat, kunut, kona, konait, ghanat, ghundat.