Al-Jufainah Dam

The ancient dam, Al-Jufainah, was part of the Great Marib Dam’s irrigation network. It is 8km to the southwest of the center of Marib and dates back to the 1st Sabean period, and was built to accommodate the overflow from the Great Dam to irrigate the land to the left of the great Dam. Al-Jufainah Dam had four water distribution channels built of chipped stone and supported by a number of 10m high supporting walls approximately 300m in length. The foundations are 4m wide with the walls being 1.5m wide at the top. The walls of the dam suffered from major cracks and was rebuilt with rough volcanic stones, coated with a cementing substance called Qadhadh. This substance was found to have been uesd during the latter part of the Sabean Age between the years 100BC – 350AD. In comparison with other adms, Al-Jufainah, remains in rather good condition. Access to the dam is from the Great Dam, half-a-kilometer from the paved road an unpaved path to the left leads to Al-Jufainah dam exactly 1 km from the asphalt road.