1st Edition
Qanats and Historic Structures in Persia Potential Modern Applications
Qanats and Historic Structures in Persia presents the early history of water science and includes the advanced knowledge held by Persians regarding the hydrologic cycle in general and groundwater flow in particular. It explains how the Persians understood the sources of rivers, streams, springs and groundwater, at least seven centuries before it was known to western scholars, and how their use of underground water tunnels allowed them to transform deserts into centers of civilization and food production for thousands of years. It also presents an overview of ancient canals, weir bridges, dams, water storage structures, and water dividers constructed to supply water for irrigation and domestic needs.
- Presents numerous examples of how qanats are used throughout the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.
- Includes descriptions and photographs of historic structures, some of which are still operational after hundreds of years.
- Written in an accessible and informative way, the book contains neither equations nor rigorous technical material.
- Examines the renowned scholars of the late ninth through twelfth centuries, namely the Persian Golden Era.
Biography
Hormoz Pazwash, Ph.D., earned his BS, CE with the highest honor among the entire graduating class of 1963 from Tehran University. He continued his graduate studies under the supervision of the late Dr. Ven Te Chow at the University of Illinois, in Urbana-Champaign, earning an MS and PhD in civil engineering. In 1970, he joined the Faculty of Engineering at Tehran University, and in the next seven years, held the positions of assistant professor, associate professor, and chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering. His other academic appointments have included visiting professorships at the University of California, Berkley; the University of Akron in Ohio; and associate professorship at Northeastern University in Boston. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. Dr. Pazwash has received various academic awards, including a fellowship at Tehran University and a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of California, Berkley. Since 1985, he has been engaged in engineering practice and is currently a part-time consultant with Italconsult (a large global firm) which acquired Boswell Engineering in April 2018. Dr. Pazwash is the author of some 60 papers, five books, including Urban Storm Water Management, 2nd Edition 2016, and a chapter of the Encyclopedia of Environmental Management, published September 2014. He is a lifetime member and a Fellow of the ASCE and a Water Resources Engineer Diplomat of the AAWRE.
