Kurit Dam

The Kurit Dam, located in Persia (modern-day Iran), is an ancient dam that was among the world's first large-scale thin-arch dams. Constructed in the early 14th century by the Il-Khanid Mongols, it reached a height of 64 meters (210 feet) after successive heightenings. Remarkably, the Kurit Dam remained the world's tallest dam until the early 20th century. By the end of the 20th century, its reservoir had nearly silted up, leading to regular overtopping and erosion. A new dam was subsequently built upstream to create a new reservoir and protect the ancient structure.1