Halabiye Dam
Encyclopedia
The Halabiye Dam is a proposed dam on the Euphrates
in Deir ez-Zor Governorate
, Syria
. It will be the fourth and most southern dam on the Syrian Euphrates, after the Tishrin Dam
, the Tabqa Dam and the Baath Dam
. The proposed location for the dam is the narrow gap in the Euphrates valley northwest of Deir ez-Zor that is created by basalt
outcrops on the left and right river banks. It is expected that dry areas will be brought under cultivation with irrigation water provided by the dam. In preparation of this project, the director of the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
(DGAM) appealed in 2009 to international teams of archaeologists to participate in the rescue excavations
of the archaeological sites that would be threatened by the construction of the dam and the flooding of its reservoir
. These excavations are expected to be carried out between 2010 and 2012. The sites that are threatened are located in the area that is projected to be flooded by the reservoir and in the area where construction works for the dam will take place. Important sites that are threatened include the Roman
–Byzantine
sites of Halabiye and Zalabiye that were first fortified by the Palmyrene
queen Zenobia
in the 3rd century CE. The lower town of Halabiye will be partially flooded by the reservoir and the Syrian government is cooperating with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) and UNESCO
to limit the impact of the dam on this site as well as on Zalabiye. Other threatened sites include Bronze Age
Tell Ma’dan and Tell Humeyda with Ubaid
, Uruk
and Byzantine material.
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
in Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Deir ez-Zor Governorate
Deir ez-Zor Governorate or Muhafazah Dayr az Zawr is one of the fourteen governorates of Syria. It is situated in eastern Syria, bordering Iraq. It has an area of 33,060 km² and a population of 1,202,000...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. It will be the fourth and most southern dam on the Syrian Euphrates, after the Tishrin Dam
Tishrin Dam
The Tishrin Dam is a dam on the Euphrates, located east of Aleppo in Aleppo Governorate, Syria. The dam is high and has 6 water turbines capable of producing 630 MW. Construction lasted between 1991 and 1999...
, the Tabqa Dam and the Baath Dam
Baath Dam
The Baath Dam is a dam on the Euphrates, located upstream from the city of Ar-Raqqah in Ar-Raqqah Governorate, Syria. Construction of the dam started in 1983 and was finished in 1986. It is intended to generate hydroelectric power as well as regulate the irregular flow from the Tabqa Dam, which...
. The proposed location for the dam is the narrow gap in the Euphrates valley northwest of Deir ez-Zor that is created by basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
outcrops on the left and right river banks. It is expected that dry areas will be brought under cultivation with irrigation water provided by the dam. In preparation of this project, the director of the Syrian Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums
The Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums is a Syrian government directorate responsible for the protection, promotion and excavation activities in all sites of national heritage in Syria. The directorate was established shortly after Syria's independence in 1946...
(DGAM) appealed in 2009 to international teams of archaeologists to participate in the rescue excavations
Rescue archaeology
Rescue archaeology, sometimes called "preventive" or "salvage" archaeology, is archaeological survey and excavation carried out in areas threatened by, or revealed by, construction or other development...
of the archaeological sites that would be threatened by the construction of the dam and the flooding of its reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
. These excavations are expected to be carried out between 2010 and 2012. The sites that are threatened are located in the area that is projected to be flooded by the reservoir and in the area where construction works for the dam will take place. Important sites that are threatened include the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
–Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
sites of Halabiye and Zalabiye that were first fortified by the Palmyrene
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
queen Zenobia
Zenobia
Zenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
in the 3rd century CE. The lower town of Halabiye will be partially flooded by the reservoir and the Syrian government is cooperating with the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
to limit the impact of the dam on this site as well as on Zalabiye. Other threatened sites include Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
Tell Ma’dan and Tell Humeyda with Ubaid
Ubaid period
The Ubaid period is a prehistoric period of Mesopotamia. The tell of al-`Ubaid west of nearby Ur in southern Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate has given its name to the prehistoric Pottery Neolithic to Chalcolithic culture, which represents the earliest settlement on the alluvial plain of southern...
, Uruk
Uruk period
The Uruk period existed from the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia, following the Ubaid period and succeeded by the Jemdet Nasr period. Named after the Sumerian city of Uruk, this period saw the emergence of urban life in Mesopotamia. It was...
and Byzantine material.