ABSTRACT
It is now virtually certain that the first known application of biogas technology in the world was in a public bath house designed and built some four centuries ago by the well-known Iranian engineer, poet, and mystic master, Sheikh Bahaii (Mohammed Ameli, son of Hussein - 154&-1622 AD). Sheikh Bahaii lived and worked at the height of the material culture ofIran under the Safavid Dynasty. Among his many well-documented achievements is the intricate, vast network of water supply and distribution from the Zayandeh River to the town of Isphahan and the surrounding countryside. This network still forms the basis oftoday's water distribution system in much of the area.
