Turfan Karez System

Turfan Karez System is a traditional water management system in the Turfan Basin in southern Eastern Turkistan, designed to bring groundwater to the surface for use in agriculture and settlements. The system is based on connecting vertical shafts, dug at regular intervals, with horizontal underground tunnels that channel water from the foothills of mountains to populated areas.

This system is regarded as a product of the Uyghur people’s creativity, collective labor, and harmonious relationship with nature, both as an engineering and cultural heritage. Karez systems have played a vital role in the Turfan region, particularly under its arid and desert climate, by enabling irrigation of farmland, securing drinking and domestic water, sustaining livestock activities, and ensuring the continuity of settlements.

Historical sources indicate that the origins of karez systems date back thousands of years, with the Uyghur Turks adapting and refining the technique to suit their local geographical conditions. Although their numbers have declined in the face of modern irrigation technologies, karez systems are still recognized as a heritage requiring protection due to their technical and cultural value.

History

The karez system traces its origins to one of the oldest underground water conveyance techniques in Central Asia. Similar systems elsewhere in the world are known as qanat in Iran, falaj in Oman, and kahriz in Azerbaijan, while in Eastern Turkistan the system is called “karez.”

Archaeological and historical evidence shows that this water technology emerged in Central Asia during prehistoric times and became a crucial irrigation method along settlements of the Silk Road.

The Turfan Basin has an entirely arid climate, with summer temperatures reaching up to +50°C, annual rainfall of only 16–23 mm, and high rates of evaporation. These conditions necessitated the development of a sustainable system capable of bringing groundwater to the surface, making the karez technique the region’s lifeline.

The systematic construction of karez in Turfan matured during the Uyghur Turk period. The Uyghurs combined technical knowledge inherited from earlier civilizations with their own geographical experience to refine the system. Karez systems played a fundamental role in irrigating the region’s agricultural centers, particularly vineyards, melon fields, and orchards.

The construction process required specialized expertise passed down through generations via master-apprentice relationships. Karez diggers (karez craftsmen) became prominent for their engineering knowledge in determining water direction, flow rate, and pressure. This profession gained high social status among the people, imbued with both material and spiritual significance.

Original Purposes of Construction

The primary purpose of karez systems was to transport groundwater accumulated at mountain foothills to settlements without losing it to evaporation. This enabled:

• Regular water supply to agricultural lands
• Provision of drinking and domestic water
• Meeting water needs for livestock
• Permitting permanent settlement in desert climates

Construction Technique and Stages

Construction Process

Karez construction is a process demanding high technical knowledge, physical strength, and long-term cooperation. First, experts determine the location of underground water sources, the slope of the terrain, and soil composition. Water is typically drawn from underground aquifers at mountain foothills. Then, vertical shafts are dug at regular intervals between the water source and the settlement. These shafts are connected underground by gently sloping horizontal tunnels to allow water to flow by gravity.

Construction Stages

• Locating the Water Source: The level and direction of the underground water are identified.
• Digging Vertical Shafts: Shafts are dug at average intervals of 10–30 meters, serving both for earth removal during excavation and for maintenance access.
• Digging Underground Tunnels: Tunnels connecting the shafts are hand-dug with a slight gradient to ensure smooth water flow.
• Surface Canals and Reservoirs: Surface canals and storage pools are constructed at the point where water emerges above ground.

Tools Used

• Karez Basket: Used to transport excavated soil to the surface.
• Karez Lamp: Provides lighting in underground tunnels.
• Bula and Bula Frame: Special hand tools used for soil excavation.
• Karez Pick: The primary digging tool used for directing water flow and tunnel excavation.

Professionalization and Knowledge Transmission

Karez construction is a craft learned through master-apprentice relationships and passed down from generation to generation. Known as “karez craftsmen,” these specialists became experts in regulating water flow, performing maintenance, and ensuring tunnel safety. This profession was held in high esteem among the people, and karez craftsmen were regarded as both engineers and artisans.

Role in Uyghur Life

Agricultural Production

The Turfan Karez System formed the foundation of the region’s agricultural activities. In Turfan’s arid and desert climate, consistent year-round water access was possible only through the karez system. Karez systems provided the critical irrigation infrastructure for vineyards, melon cultivation, orchards, and vegetable farming. The productivity of Turfan’s famous “Grape Valley” has been preserved thanks to the steady irrigation provided by karez. Livestock watering points were also integrated into karez outlets.

Settlement and Daily Life

Karez systems were the primary source of drinking and domestic water. By ensuring a continuous flow of clean water to settlements, they secured both household needs and the continuity of social life. From a public health perspective, especially during hot summer months, karez water served as a vital source of cool, clean drinking water. Areas around karez outlets became social hubs where communities gathered to share water and carry out daily tasks.

Economic Contributions

Thanks to regular irrigation, agricultural production increased, and the diversity and quality of products improved. This enhanced the economic power of Uyghur settlements both in local markets and along the Silk Road trade routes. Karez systems ensured the sustainability of agriculture and trade while securing a stable agricultural labor force in the region.

Karez in Uyghur Folklore

Karez systems have shaped not only the economic life but also the spiritual world of the Uyghur people. They appear in numerous aspects of culture, from oral traditions to written literature, rituals to everyday expressions. Sources show that karez is treated both as concrete cultural heritage and as abstract cultural value, intertwined with themes of water’s sanctity and the elevation of labor.

Karez in Oral Culture

Legends and Traditions

Theme: Extracting water from the earth, divine assistance, collective community effort.

Function: Explaining the origin of karez and granting it sacred legitimacy.

Example: In a Turfan legend, during a drought, the people’s prayers are answered, and sweet water emerges from a karez dug at the direction of a “water saint.” Such narratives contribute to the perception of karez as a miraculous phenomenon.

Heroic Karez Craftsmen Motifs

In legends, karez craftsmen are depicted as people who can “hear” the water. The master detects the water’s location by observing soil color, moisture, and sound. This knowledge is passed down through generations as ancestral craft.

Karez in Proverbs and Sayings

Proverbs and sayings summarize the place of karez in Uyghur culture.

• “Do not forget the one who dug the well.”
• “Only in the desert do you understand the value of water.”
• “The karez craftsman sees the place and hears the water.”
• “The path of water lies in the craftsman’s mind.”
• “A karez cannot be dug with one hand.”
• “The path of water passes through many hands.” – Reflecting the collaborative production process.

Karez in Folk Poetry (Koşaklar)

In folk poetry, karez appears both as a concrete entity and as a metaphor.

“We dug the earth together, brought water to the village,

Our sweat flowed into the soil, abundance filled the heavens.”

“Your eyes are clear like water flowing from a karez,

The more I drink, the more I thirst for your love from distant lands.”

“We dug the karez, gave water to the plain,

The rulers turned a blind eye, and the people fell into hardship.”

Beliefs and Rituals

The Uyghurs believe that karez diggers have a spiritual guide or “pir.”

Before excavation begins, rituals of honoring the pir and offering prayers are performed.

Animal sacrifice is carried out to invoke the water’s blessings.

Foods such as fruit, bread, and sweets are offered as non-blood sacrifices.

It is believed that karez water brings fertility to fields.

Ceremonies are held at the water source before planting.

Karez water is believed to cure certain illnesses.

Bathing in the water is considered a ritual to ward off the evil eye.

Current Status and Conservation Efforts

Until the mid-20th century, hundreds of active karez systems existed in the Turfan Basin; today, this number has dramatically declined. Between 1949 and 2004, the number of karez systems with flowing water in Turfan dropped sharply, with many drying up or becoming unusable due to neglect. The main causes of this decline are:

• Climate Change: Drought and rising temperatures have lowered groundwater levels.
• Modern Drilling and Pumping Systems: Although providing faster water access, these systems have accelerated the depletion of underground aquifers.
• Migration: The decline in available labor for karez maintenance has led to the abandonment of many systems.

Local-Level Conservation and Restoration Initiatives

In Turfan and surrounding villages, some local communities have begun restoring karez systems still in usable condition. The Tuxtaş Karez Ecology Conservation Community in Chaqchal Village, for example, has reopened agricultural lands around the karez to revive both production and the ecosystem. In some villages, annual campaigns to clean and maintain karez using traditional methods are organized.

National and International Support

Various official and international projects are underway to protect karez systems:

• The Xinjiang Karez Research Association (Xinjiang Kariz Tetqiqat Cemiyiti) in China conducts research to identify, document, and preserve karez systems.
• UNESCO has classified karez systems as “cultural heritage in danger” and launched awareness campaigns.
• The World Bank has provided funding for the restoration and sustainable operation of some active karez systems under water management projects.

Tourism and Cultural Promotion Efforts

The Turfan Karez Museum serves as a tourist center showcasing the structure and working principle of an active karez system. Here, both local residents and tourists can closely observe karez tunnels and vertical shafts.

Local authorities aim to integrate karez systems into cultural tourism to generate economic income and increase public awareness of the system.

Despite conservation efforts, the future of karez systems remains at risk:

• It may take a long time for groundwater levels to naturally return to their former state.
• The economic appeal of modern irrigation systems pushes traditional karez management into the background.
• Interest in the karez craftsmanship profession is declining among younger generations.