Kebar arch dam
Presa bóveda de Kebar
- Date
- c. 1300 · confidence medium
- Place
- Kebar, Qom, Iran
- Credited to
- Ilkhanid engineers
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Lime-mortar masonry dam 26 m high with a curved plan that transfers the water's thrust to the hillsides, like a horizontal arch. It is the oldest surviving arch dam.
There are earlier curved Roman dams (Glanum), but their function as an arch is doubtful. The nearby Kurit dam (c. 1350) was the tallest in the world until the early 20th century.
What it led to
- arch dams at Kurit and other Ilkhanid dams
- water storage for irrigation in arid regions
- precedent for modern arch dams