Sadd-el-Kafara

ancient dam, Egypt

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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The Sadd el-Kafara was an ancient dam built around 2700 BCE, located about 30 km south of Cairo, Egypt. It was constructed as a masonry-faced earthen embankment to hold back floodwaters for irrigation. Unfortunately, the dam failed shortly after its completion due to a flood that overtopped it. This failure occurred because it lacked a spillway designed to resist erosion, leading to the dam being washed away. It is considered the oldest known dam in the Middle East.1

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dam
The Middle East
…built about 2700 bce at Sadd el-Kafara, about 30 km (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. The Sadd el-Kafara failed shortly after completion when, in the absence of a spillway that could resist erosion, it was overtopped by a flood and washed away. The oldest dam still in use is…
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…built about 2700 bce at Sadd el-Kafara, about 30 km (19 miles) south of Cairo, Egypt. The Sadd el-Kafara failed shortly after completion when, in the absence of a spillway that could resist erosion, it was overtopped by a flood and washed away. The oldest dam still in use is…
Read More