The Gölpınar Hittite Dam, also known as Alacahöyük Dam, was constructed by the Hittites around 1240 BC. The first research at Alacahoyuk was conducted in 1835 by W.C. Hamilton from England. Later, national excavations began in 1935 under the order of Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and continued until 1983, during which the dam site was discovered and partially unearthed. Further archaeological work between 1997 and 2007 led to the complete unearthing and rehabilitation of the dam, which is considered one of the first dams in Anatolia.

The dam is a stone-fill structure designed for irrigation and domestic water supply. Key components of the dam include a stilling basin, spillway, weirs on both banks, reservoir, and irrigation channels. The catchment area is 0.101 km², with a stone-filled embankment approximately 2 meters high. The reservoir measures 100 m x 110 m with a volume of 27,500 m³. The dam features a pool area of 1,040 m², a spillway for excess water flow, and weirs, although one is now destroyed. The stone embankment is reinforced with clay soil, with stones supported and connected by clay without mortar.

Historically, the dam served multiple purposes: irrigation, domestic water supply, and a water cult site. Its sophisticated design includes irrigation channels, which indicate systematic irrigation practices during the Hittite period. Today, the dam continues to be used by local farmers for agricultural irrigation, just as it was over three millennia ago, highlighting its enduring utility and the advanced engineering techniques of the Hittites.

Today, the Gölpınar Hittite Dam is an important historical and cultural site in Alacahoyuk, Corum province, Turkey. Efforts to also utilise the dam for tourism purposes began in 2015 with the launch of a recreation and archeopark project, completed in 2018. The area now includes Hittite-style agricultural areas, walking paths, observation terraces, and other features to simulate Hittite life. The dam is open to the public and serves as both a tourist attraction and a functional irrigation source for local agriculture.

Gölpınar Hittite Dam is one of the water engineering wonders, with its historic weirs and other components, dating back to BC 1240, provides systematic irrigation to enhance food production, livelihood opportunity and rural prosperity and is still functional.