The dam, built of rubble, concrete, and dressed with ashlar stones, dates to the first or second century AD.

It served as a major water supply for the nearby Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, to which it was connected by a canal.

[1] The dam collected the seasonal floods of Wadi al-Barada in a storage basin that could be used all year.

The third one, terracotta with a smaller diameter, crossed the dam in a steep slope and was located about 11.20 metres (36.7 ft) from the top on the upstream side.

A more detailed survey and excavation was conducted by a French archaeological team led by Daniel Schlumberger in 1938.