Mu'awiya Dam
Mu'awiya Dam
Mu’awiya Dam (Sadd al-Khanaq), built in the Umayyad era east of Madinah, is among the oldest surviving Islamic dams in Arabia — water storage, irrigation, and an early Kufic foundation inscription.
Plan your visit
Practical information verified separately from the historical record.
Before you go: Check with the operator or a local guide before departure; field access details have not yet been verified.
Why visit?
Visit the oldest surviving Islamic dam in Arabia, see the Kufic foundation inscription and the remaining sections of the twin dams in scenic Wadi al-Khanaq, and appreciate the water engineering mastery of the Umayyad era.
Mu'awiya Dam (Sadd al-Khanaq)
An early Umayyad dam built in Wadi al-Khanaq, about 15 km east of Medina. The dam was constructed at the narrowest point of the gorge using local basalt stones and lime mortar. Its original length was ~56 m, height ~20 m, and base width ~17.5 m. A foundation inscription in Kufic script attributes the dam to Caliph Mu'awiyah (r. 661–680 CE). The dam created a reservoir ~1,600 m long and 350 m wide with a capacity of ~560,000 m³. A second auxiliary dam was built to the west. The dam's central section collapsed due to earthquakes, most notably the 1256 CE eruption/seismic event. It is listed on UNESCO's Tentative List under 'Water Management in Saudi Arabia: Ancient Dams'.