Application to have ancient Iranian aqueducts registered as a world heritage site

I normally associate aqueducts with structures that allow for the movement of water above ground, sometimes at substantial heights. I was not aware that the ancient Persians built complex aqueducts, known as qanats, over long distances as long ago as 1000 BCE, and in many cases these aqueducts are still in use today, three millennia later! 

The Iranian authorities have recently applied to UNESCO to have 11 of these aqueducts registered as a world heritage site. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's application is to be considered at a UNESCO summit in July 2016.