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This is list of ancient and historic dams built by mankind.
Name Location Date Type Notes
Sadd el-Kafara Dam Egypt ~2600 BC Masonry (failed) Oldest known masonry-faced dam; failed during construction due to flooding.[ 1]
Marib Dam Yemen ~750 BC (early form ~2000 BC) Earthen with masonry core Key to Sabaean irrigation; expanded multiple times; functioned for over 1,000 years.
Jerwan Dam Iraq 700 BC
Masonry
Dam and oldest aqueduct part of the Atrush Canal System
Jawa Dam Jordan ~3000 BC Stone gravity dam Oldest known dam in the world; built to hold flash flood waters.
Lake Homs Dam (Qattinah Dam)Syria ~1300 BC Earthfill with stone Early large-scale reservoir; modified over centuries.
Name Location Date Type Notes
Kallanai Dam (Grand Anicut)Tamil Nadu, India ~100 AD Stone masonry Built by Chola King Karikalan; still in use today—one of the oldest operational dams.
Band-e Kaisar (Caesar's Dam)Shushtar, Iran ~260 AD Roman-style masonry Built by Roman captives; part of the Shushtar Hydraulic System (UNESCO site).
Cornalvo Dam Spain ~1st century AD Masonry gravity dam Roman origin; maintained into the medieval era; still standing.
Proserpina Dam Spain ~1st century AD Earth and masonry Roman dam still retaining water; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Name Location Date Type Notes
Elche Dam (Pantano de Elche)Spain 1632 Masonry arch dam One of the earliest arch dams still in use.
Tibi Dam Spain 1594 Masonry gravity dam World’s tallest dam (42 m) for over 300 years.
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam India 1967 Masonry gravity dam With height of 124 metres, currently, it is the world’s tallest stone masonry dam.[ 2]
