Shafaq News- Kirkuk

The Naruja Haji Jirjis Upper Kahreez, a traditional underground irrigation system in northern Kirkuk province, has been added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures register, Iraq's Water Resources Ministry said on Friday.

Built about 200 years ago in the Lower Zab River basin, the system draws groundwater by gravity from a main well through an underground tunnel and a network of covered and open channels, irrigating between 10 and 50 hectares of farmland, according to the listing certificate. It still supports local agriculture.

The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), which runs the register, announced the listing at its 77th International Executive Council meeting in Marseille, held during its 26th congress.

The ministry said the listing reflects Iraq's long heritage of traditional water management and will help protect the site for future generations.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Kirkuk, a city of oil, culture, and conflict