Sadd Ba'ta — Wadi Rada Gravity Dam (Yemeni Highlands)
Wadi Rada Dam · Ba'ta Dam
Himyarite (400–580 CE)·Himyarite·🇾🇪 Al Bayda Governorate, Wadi Rada, Ba'ta village near Rada, Yemen
About
About Sadd Ba'ta — Wadi Rada Gravity Dam (Yemeni Highlands)
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. Sluice gate cut in basalt bedrock with basalt-slab gate seats. Reservoir 320,000 m3 silted to 65% but spillway still functions in monsoon spate. UNESCO Yemen Observance reports stable wall but cracked left abutment after 2008 flood. Compared to Marib, smaller and highland, demonstrates south Arabian highland spate technique vs lowland main dams.
Why it mattersKey hydraulic illustrating Himyarite hydraulic/geoglyph/kite/kurgan tradition in Al Bayda Governorate, Wadi Rada, Ba'ta village near Rada.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Stepped spillway vs Marib single sluice
Theories
- 01Highland spate technique distinct from Marib lowland
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.450 CE
- Period
- Himyarite (400–580 CE)
- Culture
- Himyarite
- Purpose
- Highland spate diversion for Rada basin sorghum terraces
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.450 CE
Initial construction
2020
Drone/UAV high-resolution mapping and heritage inventory
On the ground
Structures & features
14.4200° N · 44.8500° E · 1680 m · 4 mapped features
Ba'ta Dam Wall (140 m)
hydraulic140-m gravity dam 11 m high
14.4210° N · 44.8510° EStepped Spillway (7 steps)
hydraulic7-step downstream spillway 1.2 m tread
14.4190° N · 44.8490° EBedrock Sluice Gate
sluiceBasalt bedrock-cut sluice with slab gate seats
14.4220° N · 44.8520° EContour Canal to Rada (1.6 km)
aqueduct1.6 km contour canal to Rada terraces
14.4210° N · 44.8510° E