Kurit Upper Arch Dam — Tabas Foshinkan Upper Weir (Kurit Superior)
Kurit Superior Dam · Kurit Upper
Ilkhanid (14th c 1330 CE) upper completion·Ilkhanid–Safavid·🇮🇷 South Khorasan, Tabas County, Kurit village upper gorge above main Kurit Dam, Iran
About
About Kurit Upper Arch Dam — Tabas Foshinkan Upper Weir (Kurit Superior)
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 regulating flash-flood inflow to main dam (440,000 m3). Upper weir is single-curvature masonry arch 6 m base thickness with lime-sarooj waterproof mortar (egg-white tradition). Gebler 1969 and later Japanese survey 1987 shows upper weir still intact but silted 85%, spillway overtops in 10-yr flood. Distinct from kurit-dam-tabas-iran in DB (main dam) — this is upper cascade weir new.
Why it mattersKey hydraulic illustrating Ilkhanid–Safavid hydraulic/geoglyph/kite/kurgan tradition in South Khorasan, Tabas County, Kurit village upper gorge above main Kurit Dam.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Twin arch construction sequence
Theories
- 01Cascade flood regulation for main arch longevity
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.1330 CE (main dam 1350 Ilkhanid); upper 1330
- Period
- Ilkhanid (14th c 1330 CE) upper completion
- Culture
- Ilkhanid–Safavid
- Purpose
- Upper regulated retention weir feeding main Kurit arch dam reservoir cascade
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.1330 CE (main dam 1350 Ilkhanid); upper 1330
Initial construction
2020
Drone/UAV high-resolution mapping and heritage inventory
On the ground
Structures & features
33.4500° N · 56.8800° E · 1020 m · 3 mapped features
Upper Arch Weir (12 m)
dam12-m single-curvature arch weir 34 m crest
33.4510° N · 56.8810° ECascade Reservoir (45,000 m3)
reservoir45,000 m3 upper cascade reservoir silted 85%
33.4490° N · 56.8790° ESpillway Overtop Ledge
hydraulicOvertop spillway ledge for 10-yr flood
33.4510° N · 56.8810° E