Contrary to an older hypothesis which tentatively linked the origins of the dam to Egyptian ruler Sethi (1319–1304 BC), the structure dates to 284 AD when it was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian (284–305 AD) for irrigation purposes.

[2] With a capacity of 90 million m3, it is considered the largest Roman reservoir in the Near East[3] and might have even been the largest artificial reservoir constructed up to that time.

[5] The 2 km long and 7 m high masonry gravity dam consists of a Roman concrete core protected by basalt blocks.

[6] In 1938, the level of the dam was raised[vague], increasing the volume of water the artificial lake holds to 200 million m3.

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