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Qazvin is known to have had close to, or in excess of 100 drinking water reservoirs called ab anbars before modernization in the 20th century.

Only ten remain fully intact today. All are protected as national cultural heritage relics. The extant ab anbars of Qazvin are:

• Ab anbar of Jame’ mosque

Built in 1682 (1093 AH lunar) during the reign of Shah Suleyman I Safavi, located next to the Jame’ (congregation) mosque, with the benefactor listed as Ali Khan-e Nāmi (6, 410). This ab anbar has a second private stairway that opens directly into the tank, for lay-rubi. The Sarooj covered walls are 2.4 meters thick (3, 80) surrounding all sides of the tank.

• Ab anbar of Sardar e Bozorg

Two brothers by the names of Mohammad Hasan Khan and Mohammad Hosein Qoli Khan e Sardar who were commanders of The Qajar monarch Fath-ali shah's army make a vow to build a mosque, school, and ab anbar in the driest part of the city (3, 81) if they return victorious from a battle against the Russian army (1). This ab anbar was finished in 1812 (1227 AH lunar). Its walls are 3 m thick (3, 81).

• Ab anbar of Sardar e Kuchak

With 37 steps, 4 faucets located at various intervals, four domes, and four semi-windcatchers, this ab anbar was built in 1814 (1229 AH lunar) as part of a school-mosque-ab anbar complex by the same two brothers (3, 82).

• Ab anbar of Haj Kazem

With 40 steps, 2 faucets, and 2 windcatchers standing 8 m tall, and storage walls 3 m thick, this ab anbar was finished in 1840 (1256 AH lunar) in one of Qazvin's drier neighborhoods. The inscriptions on top of the sardar mention Haj Kazem Kuzehgar and his assistant Haji Ismail as the architects of the ab anbar.

• Ab anbar of Hakim

With 36 steps, this ab anbar was finished in 1828 (1244 AH lunar) by Haj Mirza Hakim, a local physician. Next to the sardar, a saqqa-khaneh was built at the same time. This is a small enclave where people light candles in front of sacred images of Shia icons, and pray for requests (nazr).

• Ab anbar of Mola Verdi Khan mosque

Built in 1763 (1177 AH lunar) according to the inscription on top of the sardar, during the reign of the Zand dynasty. The pasheer contains 2 gushvars.

• Ab anbar of Zananeh Bazar

Constructed under charity by a benefactor by the name of Haj Mola Abdol-vahhab, who was a famous cleric in the Qajar era, its entry is located inside the bazaar of the coppersmiths, has 43 steps, 4 columns inside the storage tank, 10 flat domes, 5 windcatchers, and also has a separate stairway for layeh-rubi that is also connected to the basement of the adjacent mosque (3, 82).

• Ab anbar of Agha

Also a relic of the Qajar era, with 30 steps, and walls 2.2 m thick.

Dimensions and capacity

See also

• Iranian architecture
• Ab Anbar
• Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity

References

1. Memari e Islami e Iran. M. K. Pirnia. ISBN 964-454-093-X
2. Minudar or Babuljanne. Gulriz, Mohammad Ali. Taha publications. 3rd printing. Qazvin. 1381 (2002). ISBN 964-6228-61-5
3. Qazvin: ayinah-yi tarikh va tabi’at-i Iran. Hazrati, Mohammad Ali. Sazeman e Irangardi va Jahangardi publications. Qazvin. 1382 (2003). ISBN 964-7536-35-6
4. Saimaa-yi ustaan-I Qazvain. Haji aqa Mohammadi, Abbas. Taha Publications. Qazvin. 1378 (1998). ISBN 964-6228-09-7
5. Memari-ye ab anbar haye shahr e Qazvin. Memarian, Gholamhosein. Asar. Vol 35. Miras Farhangi publications. Tehran. (p187-197).
6. Sair e Tarikhi e banaayi Shahr e Qazvin va Banaha-yi an. Siyaghi, Dr. Seyd Mohammad Dabir. Sazeman e Miras e Farhangi. Qazvin. 2002. ISBN 964-7536-29-1
7. M.J. Strauss. Old ways of water management spring up again in arid regions. International Herald Tribune. Aug 20, 2005.

v t e Iranian architecture
Periods	Pre-Islamic Achaemenid Parthian style Sasanian Islamic Early Islamic Seljuk Ilkhanid Timurid Safavid
Types	Bazaars Caravanserais Khaneqah Mosques Takyeh
Elements	Ab anbar Andaruni Biruni Burj Chahartaq Dalan e Vorudi Gonbad Hashti Howz Imamzadeh Iwan Kariz Kucheh Panjdari Persian Garden (hayāt) Qanat Sahn Shabestan Talar Windcatchers Yakhchāl
Traditional cities	Amol Andijan Baku Bam Bukhara Ctesiphon Derbent Ganja Gur-e-Amir Hatra Herat Isfahan Kashan Kashmar Khiva Khorramabad Mashhad Merv Nakhchivan Nishapur Persepolis Qazvin Qom Samarkand Shahrisabz Shiraz Susa Tabriz Takht-e Soleymān Tehran Yazd
Theory and analysis	Islamic architecture Traditional Persian residential architecture Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity
Lists	Architects of Iran Args, castles, and ghal'ehs List of ab anbars of Qazvin List of mosques List of ziyarat-gahs

v t e Qazvin Province, Iran
Capital	Qazvin
Counties and cities	Abyek County Abyek Khak-e Ali Ziaran Alborz County Alvand Bidestan Mohammadiyeh Sharifabad Avaj Avaj Abgarm Buin Zahra County Buin Zahra Ardak Danesfahan Sagezabad Shal Qazvin County Qazvin Eqbaliyeh Kuhin Mahmudabad Nemuneh Moallem Kalayeh Razmian Sirdan Takestan County Takestan Esfarvarin Khorramdasht Narjeh Ziaabad
Sights	Alamut Castle Aminiha Hosseiniyeh Caravanserai of Sa'd al-Saltaneh Meimoon Ghal'eh Ahmadabad-e Mosaddeq Ab anbars of Qazvin Jame' Atiq Mosque of Qazvin Heidarieh mosque Al-Nabi mosque Ovan Lake Kharraqan towers Lambsar Castle Shazdeh Hosein shrine
populated places	List of cities, towns and villages in Qazvin Province

• Reservoirs in Iran
• Buildings and structures in Qazvin province
• Lists of buildings and structures in Iran