Kish Free Zone Organization

Kariz Underground City

Dating back to over 2500 years ago, Kish aqueduct (Kariz) is one of the Island's tourist and historical areas. The aqueduct, with an area of 10,000 square meters, is located at a depth of 16 meters underground, and its ceiling is covered with shells and corals, which according to the local guides, are estimated to be 270 to 570 million years old. But as the host limestone-coral bed is the result of the activity of corals of the present time, it cannot be more than a few thousand years old. Mansour Haji Hosseini, an Iranian living in Germany, invested in 1999 to build a tourist cultural complex in the underground city of Kish (Kariz).

The traditional bazaar at Kish aqueduct has been established in two lines since 1994 with a length of 15 km. to present handicrafts and classic achievements in different parts of Iran. The mosque or prayer hall at Kish underground city is the only structure with a ceiling of natural shells and corals.

The most recent phase of this spectacular complex is the museum of fossils obtained from its coral roof. The fossils have been examined at the University of Munich (Germany), have an identity card, and are estimated to be 53 to 57 million years old. Handicraft shops, traditional photography studios, and traditional tea houses are parts of this Cultural Tourism Complex.