MUAWIYAH DAM

Muawiyah Dam is one of the many ancient dams located in the ancient city of Taif on the Arabian Peninsula. Said to be amongst the few extremely old dams that still exist to this day, the Muawiyah Dam is known for its amazing architectural style and unique engineering design. Also known as the Saiysad Dam, this dam is tucked in between mountains, and gets its water from the Saiysad Valley.

The Muawiyah Dam is situated in the heart of a rocky area near the Saiysad Valley that is renowned for its spectacular beauty. From the valley, water pours down into a reservoir during the rainy season. This rectangular-shaped and robust structure was built with granite stones and is fifty-eight meters long and four meters wide.

Abdullah Bin Sakhr built the dam to collect water that came down through the mountains, and its foundation rock is readable and still present. The inscription on the bridge is considered among the first foundation stones in the entire Arabian Peninsula for ancient times infrastructure projects.

The dam is one of the most popular tourist places in Taif, where you can relax and rejuvenate with your friends and family and immerse in the beauty of nature.

Highlights

• Head 12 kilometres southeast of Taif to see the ancient and iconic Muawiyah Dam, one of the oldest dams in the region, during your trip of Saudi Arabia
• Built in the era of the Umayyad Caliph, during the 58th Hijri year, this dam lies in the heart of the Saiysad Valley, and is surrounded by mountains
• One can also see the dam’s construction date engraved on a large rock at the bottom of the mountain near the dam
• Additionally, some of the inscriptions on the dam suggest that it belongs to Muawiyah, the worshipper of God.
• The inscription on the dam is said to be one of the first foundation stones in the entire Arabian Peninsula in ancient times.