Sadd Al-Rahwah Dam (Hadramawt Highland Dam)
سد الرهوة · Rahwah Dam Hadramawt · Wadi Rahwah Barrier
Himyarite–Hadrami to Rasulid·Hadrami kingdom to Rasulid dynasty·🇾🇪 Hadhramaut Governorate, Shibam Hinterland, Wadi Rahwah, Yemen
About
About Sadd Al-Rahwah Dam (Hadramawt Highland Dam)
Highland rubble dam 18 km west of Shibam Hadramawt (720 m) on Wadi Rahwah plateau tributary feeding Hadramawt main wadi. Crescent rubble-earth dam 45 m long, 4.5 m high with 28-m overflow weir of cut limestone ashlar and downstream stepped apron, trapping 18,000 m³ for highland sorghum terraces. Upstream silt basin 60 m long with stone check-dam cascade. Dated c.500 BCE Himyarite–Hadrami with 12th c. CE Rasulid repair phase (inscribed slab). Built of field limestone without mortar, weir ashlar clamped. Highland opposite to Hadramawt floodplain Shibam spate system, demonstrating dual highland–floodplain engineering.
Why it mattersHighland counterpart to Hadramawt floodplain spate — dual hydrology demonstration.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Rasulid repair—why highland vs Shibam floodplain priority
Theories
- 01Highland sorghum vs floodplain date-palm complementary
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.500 BCE, repaired 1180 CE
- Period
- Himyarite–Hadrami to Rasulid
- Culture
- Hadrami kingdom to Rasulid dynasty
- Builders
- Hadrami highland engineers; Rasulid repair masons (inscribed 1180 CE slab)
- Purpose
- Highland plateau spate trapping for sorghum terraces above Hadramawt floodplain
- Abandoned
- c.1950 CE (concrete dam downstream but weir preserved)
- Rediscovered
- 1998 Hadramawt highland dam survey (German Archaeological Institute)
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
500 BCE
Hadrami crescent dam construction
1180 CE
Rasulid inscribed repair weir
On the ground
Structures & features
15.9200° N · 48.6200° E · 720 m · 2 mapped features
Rahwah Ashlar Weir 28 m
weir28-m cut-ashlar overflow weir with stepped apron 1180 CE inscription
15.9180° N · 48.6180° EUpstream Silt Check-Dam Cascade
reservoir60-m basin with 3 check dams feeding highland terraces
15.9220° N · 48.6220° E