The Kebar Dam is a

masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengthe ...

on the Kebar River,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, located near a town of the same name, 23 km southeast of Qom, near the village of Zanburak in

Jannatabad, Qom Jannatabadqom ( fa, جنت آباد قم, also Romanized as Jannatābādqom) is a village in the Central District of Qom County, Qom Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a cou ...

. The dam is an early arch dam and was the first arch dam constructed by the

Mongolians The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

, around 1300 AD. It is the oldest surviving arch dam. The dam is 26m tall and 55m wide and was constructed for irrigation water supply. It was originally 24m tall but 2m of height was added in either the beginning or middle of the 17th century. The arch of the dam was of normal curvature with a radius of 35m and angle of 45-degrees. While the dam sat on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, its curve rested on two winged walls that served as abutments. The downstream face of the dam was vertical until near its abutment where it slightly curves out. Near the dam's right, or western, abutment there is a 10m deep cylindrical hole which served as an intake and

outlet works A gatehouse, gate house, outlet works or valve house for a dam is a structure housing sluice gates, valves, or pumps (in which case it is more accurately called a pumping station). Many gatehouses are strictly utilitarian, but especially in the n ...

for the dam. The outlet works is located at the bottom and is a larger opening but there are various smaller openings throughout the shaft to release water. The dam impounded a small reservoir that is no longer used and is mostly filled with

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension with water. Silt usually has a floury feel ...

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References

{{Iran-dam-stub Buildings and structures completed in the 14th century Infrastructure completed in the 14th century Dams in Qom Province Archaeological sites in Iran Masonry dams Arch dams Buildings and structures in Qom Province