The Story Of Muawiya Dam In Taif And 6 Sentences Written On Its Walls

2018-Jul-21

 Ancient Civilization: The Taif is a beautiful region of Saudi Arabia. The region is rich in heritage. As much as you explore Taif, you would be amazed to know how ancient civilization used to live there and what have they left there. The Taif is known for possessing the history of great urban civilizations in the Arabian Peninsula.
 The region is the oldest one to be inhabited by civilizations. The region was inhabited by a civilization of pre-Islamic era, it was blessed to be inhabited during Islamic era and then even some Caliphs passed by it. It witnessed the era of Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid state as well. Isn’t it a place of great heritage?
 70 Ancient Dams in Taif: There are 70 dams located in Taif that belong to ancient times. These dams were built in different times in history. These dams were located either in the valleys or at the borders. These dams were created using great skills and expertise.
 These ancient dams were built in different architectural and engineering style which depicts that they were built by different civilizations at different points in time. Saudi Press agency published a report claiming that out of these 70 ancient dams of Taif, 20 still exists.
 These dams are a masterpiece as they are built in a unique style using different engineering designs. These dams are old and their date of construction can be dissevered through the foundation stones. Some of these dams are equipped with a foundation stone that is engraved on the rocks.
 
 These engraved writing not only reveal the date when the dam was constructed but also reveal that who got the dam constructed. This depicts the great capabilities of the workers and Arab Muslims who used to inhabit it, such ancient dams and still there and the foundation stone was engraved with such perfection that they are still readable!
 Muawiya Dam: One such masterpiece is the Muawiya Dam’. It is also referred to as the ‘Saiysad Dam’. It lies only 12km south-east of Taif. It was built in the Saiysad Valley in the middle of mountains. The dam used to collect the water that would come down through mountains after rain occurred.
 The foundation rock of the dam is still present and is readable. It rests on a mountain on which the dam’s front was built. According to the engraved information, the dam was built by Abdullah bin Sakhr during the reign of Muawiyah bin Abi-Sufyan, who was a Umayyad Caliph.
 The dam was built in 58th Hijri year. The engraved words are written in Arabic Magazi handwriting. The entire text is engraved without any dots. The text is as long as six lines. The English translations of these six lines are:
 1st Line: The dam is a belonging of Muawiya, who worships God
 2nd Line: He is a Caliph of Muslim and the dam is built by Abdullah bin Sakhr
 3rd Line: it was built in the year 58, only by the Grace of God
 4th Line: may Allah forgive his worshipper, Muawiya
 5th Line: May Allah forgive his sins, help him and provide benefit
 6th Line: to the ones who believe through him. This is written by Amr ibn Habab
 Source: Al Arabiya