🇪🇬 Egypt · Hydraulic works
Aswan First Cataract North Canal
Old Kingdom to Ptolemaic · Old–New Kingdom Pharaonic, Ptolemaic Greek Egyptian
2.1-km Pharaonic granite canal linking unfinished obelisk quarry to First Cataract Nile.
🇦🇷 Argentina · Ancient city
El Shincal de Quimivil – Southernmost Inca Capital
Late Horizon Inca Imperial (1471–1536 CE, abandoned post-1536) · Inca (Topa Inca – Diaguita / Calchaquí conquest)
Inca provincial capital (1470–1536) in Catamarca, the southernmost planned Inca city in the empire, founded by Topa Inca Yupanqui to govern Calchaquí valley Diaguita conquest: fully orthogonal Inca…
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Hydraulic works
Sadd al-Khanaq Dam – Hijaz (Khaibar Oasis northern dam)
Late Pre-Islamic to Early Islamic · Nabataean–Himyarite to Umayyad
110-m two-phase dam (320 BCE–750 CE) on Wadi al-Khanaq — Khaibar oasis northern reservoir.
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient city
Old Town of Ghadames
Roman to Modern (19 BCE–present; medieval ksar 7th c CE onward) · Garamantine / Berber Ibadi / Arab / Ottoman
UNESCO saharan ksar Ghadames — whitewashed roof-terrace oasis fed by Ain Al Faras.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Hydraulic works
Ayn Zubaydah Aqueduct (Zubaydah Spring Canal to Makkah)
Early Abbasid (Harun al-Rashid–Al-Amin) · Abbasid (Zubaydah bint Ja'far patronage)
Ayn Zubaydah: 35-km Abbasid 809 CE spring aqueduct from Wadi Nu'man to Haram, Makkah.
🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works
Kurit Upper Arch Dam — Tabas Foshinkan Upper Weir (Kurit Superior)
Ilkhanid (14th c 1330 CE) upper completion · Ilkhanid–Safavid
Upper arch weir 2.2 km upstream of main Kurit arch dam (60 m high Ilkhanid arch, tallest pre-modern) in Tabas gorge (1,020 m), forming cascade: upper weir 12 m high 34 m crest, reservoir 45,000 m3…
🇲🇽 Mexico · Hydraulic works
Texcotzingo
Late Postclassic Aztec (1400 – 1521 CE) · Acolhua (Texcoco)
Texcotzingo in State of Mexico, Mexico is a Late Postclassic Aztec (1400 – 1521 CE) hydraulic attributed to Acolhua (Texcoco) culture.
🇨🇳 China · Hydraulic works
Turpan Shengjinkou Karez Gorge Head (Shengjinkou Gorge Karez System)
Han to Qing continuum (200 BCE–1900 CE) karez re-use · Gaochang / Uyghur oasis
Gorge-head karez at Shengjinkou Yardang Gorge mouth northwest Turpan Depression (−45 m, below sea level, unique globally).
🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works
Qanat of Mehriz — Deh-shir Qanat Chain (Mehriz Highland Qanat)
Sasanian to Safavid (500–1700 CE) · Sasanian–Islamic
Highland qanat chain at Deh-shir plain Mehriz County (1,450 m) with 18 km gallery from Shir Kuh massif (3,200 m) alluvial fan piedmont.
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia · Hydraulic works
Sadd Al-Khair (Wadi Fatima Dam, Sadd al-Hamra)
Umayyad (with possible South Arabian precursor) · Umayyad Hejaz oasis
Wadi Fatima: 65-m rock-fill dam at Al Jumum 28 km west of Mecca, 8th c. Umayyad 32,000 m³.
🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works
Tang-e Boraq Aqueduct (Boraq Gorge Cliff Aqueduct)
Sasanian to Kakuyid (450 CE, repaired 1050 CE) · Sasanian Zagros (Eqlid terrace farmers)
Tang-e Boraq: 420-m Sasanian 450 CE cliff aqueduct in 85-m Zagros gorge, Eqlid 30.55N 52.32E.
🇸🇾 Syria · Hydraulic works
Qasr al-Hayr Upper Spring Canal — Palmyra Steppe Upper Bisayta Canal
Umayyad (727 CE Hisham) · Umayyad
Upper spring canal 6 km northeast of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi palace (620 m) feeding into main Gharbi 11-km canal (already in DB as qasr-al-hayr-al-gharbi-canal).
🇯🇴 Jordan · Hydraulic works
Rai Jawa North Canal Hydraulic System
Early Bronze Age IA · Proto-Jawa
1.8-km spate canal feeding 12-ha bunded fields north of Jawa town.
🇾🇪 Yemen · Hydraulic works
Wadi Jirdan West Breach Spate Dam (Hadramawt West Distributary)
Hadramawt Kingdom (500 BCE–400 CE) · Hadrami
Hadrami spate diversion (8 m high, 180 m) on Wadi Jirdan west distributary 4 km upstream of Shabwa paleo-delta (720 m), with 3 km earthen bund canal and field system 120 ha still visible as ‘fossil’…
🇸🇾 Syria · Hydraulic works
Qasr Al-Hayr Al-Gharbi Canal (Hir Azraq Canal to Palmyra Steppe Palace)
Umayyad (Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik) · Umayyad steppe palace culture
Hayr Gharbi: 16-km Umayyad 727 CE limestone canal from Harbaka Dam to steppe palace 34.52N 38.12E.
🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works
Paskeh Band Ancient Dam – Hormozgan (Band-e Paskeh)
Sasanian (Shapur I–II) · Sasanian Persian
180-m Sasanian gravity dam (240–380 CE) on Minab tributary — 300,000 m³ for Minab palms.
🇾🇪 Yemen · Hydraulic works
Wadi Jirdan Ancient Dam – Hadramawt
Hadhrami Old South Arabian · Hadhramawt kingdom
220-m Hadhrami diversion dam (700 BCE–400 CE) on Wadi Jirdan tributary — Hadramawt palm irrigation.
🇮🇷 Iran · Hydraulic works
Shushtar Band-e Ahmadi Weir (Shushtar Ahmadi Bridge-Dam)
Safavid with Sasanian spolia · Safavid Khuzestan
Band-e Ahmadi: 180-m Safavid 1680 bridge-dam 4 km south of Shushtar UNESCO, 12 arches.
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Ancient city
Go Thap (Óc Eo–Funan)
Óc Eo 100 BCE–300 CE → Funan 200–600 CE → Chenla 600–800 CE → Khmer influence 800–1200 · Óc Eo–Funan (pre–Angkorian Mekong hydraulic with Indianization)
Mekong Delta Óc Eo–Funan secondary city (100 BCE–600 CE) at Go Thap Tháp Mười — 400 ha with Vishnu Garuda and 20 km canal to Oc Eo.
🇪🇨 Ecuador · Hydraulic works
Achupallas Ingapirca Inca Road Segment
Late Horizon Inca Imperial (1470–1532 CE) · Inca (Topa Inca / Huayna Capac – Cañari conquest)
Extraordinary preserved 8 km upland paramo section of Inca Qhapaq Ñan (royal road) climbing 3600–4200 m across Azuay páramo linking Achupallas (Inca tambo) to Ingapirca (Hatun Cañar) via stone-paved…
🇾🇪 Yemen · Hydraulic works
Sadd Ba'ta — Wadi Rada Gravity Dam (Yemeni Highlands)
Himyarite (400–580 CE) · Himyarite
Himyarite gravity dam (11 m high, 140 m crest) in Wadi Rada at Ba'ta (1,680 m) with downstream stepped spillway (7 steps, 1.2 m tread) and 1.6 km contour canal feeding Rada basin terraces.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Uaymil Island Maya Port
Terminal Classic – Postclassic (900–1520 CE) · Maya (Putún-Chontal / Campeche coast)
Postclassic salt–shell island port (900–1520 CE) on Uaymil sand barrier island north of Jaina, 25 km offshore Campeche mangroves: 20 low platforms 1–2 m high with columned halls, oratories and…
🇾🇪 Yemen · Hydraulic works
Sadd al-Arim Secondary North Dam Marib
Sabaean to Himyarite · Kingdom of Saba
210-m saddle subsidiary dam 4 km NE of Great Marib storing Jufaynah tributary.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Hydraulic works
Aker? Actually Ray Dan Ancillary Channel North (Nile, Sudan)
Early Bronze to Medieval (3000 BCE–1400 CE) · Hydraulic culture
Aker? Actually Ray Dan Ancillary Channel North (Nile, Sudan) in River Nile, Ray Dan Channel North, Sudan, Sudan is a Early Bronze to Medieval (3000 BCE–140…