It was renovated by the government in 1964 in the same way originally built by the Nabataens. This dam was built to protect their capital from floods that arrived during the seasonal rain from the mountains and hills across the valley. The dam protected the city of Petra by redirecting the flood waters into a tunnel, which was later titled the ‘Dark Tunnel’. Proving to be successful, the dam thus represented the Natabataean’s skillful and modern infrastructure. During the excavation, it was found that the original name of the old city was Raqeem. However, upon their arrival, the Greeks renamed the city ‘Petra,’ meaning the rock.