Eurymedon Bridge (Aspendos)

Coordinates: 36°54′51″N 31°09′47″E / 36.914232°N 31.162999°E / 36.914232; 31.162999
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Eurymedon Bridge (Aspendos)
Roman concrete
Total length259.50 m (Roman bridge)
Width9.44 m (Roman bridge)
Longest span23.52 m (Roman bridge)
No. of spans9 (Roman bridge)
History
Opened4th century (Roman bridge)
13th century (Seljuq bridge)
Location
Map

The Eurymedon Bridge was a

ancient piers
.

Roman bridge

Structure

The characteristic mid-course displacement

The original shape and construction of the Roman-era bridge have been reconstructed digitally, based on the extant remains of the ancient structure: the ramps, the abutments, and foundations of the piers.[1] Several pieces of the original bridge are scattered along the river bed on both banks, and were not used during reconstruction.[1]

Originally, the bridge had a length of 259.50 m and a width of 9.44 m, and had nine semicircular arches.[2] It crossed the river at a basic 90-degree angle, although it bent slightly on one end.[1] The two access ramps provide information about the overall height of the structure, and the gradient on each end is similar (12.3% and 12.2%),[1] The midpoint of the bridge was approximately 4.1 m higher than the later Seljuk structure.[3]

This middle section stood on six arches, while both sides had smaller arches (one on the right and two on the left) which served as

breakwaters were added on the piers, although not all piers feature them on both sides.[2] The clear spans of the three central arches have been determined at 23.52 m for the central arch and 14.95 m for the two flanking arches, while the two piers supporting the central arch were measured at 9.60 m.[2]

The gaps in the right end of the structure reveal the hollow chamber construction method of the bridge deck,

concrete, which survives in at least one Seljuq-era pier as a foundation.[6]

Dates

The pressure conduit of the Aspendos aqueduct

The exact date of the bridge's construction is uncertain. The date of construction is closely connected with the Aqueduct of Aspendos, parts of which were re-used in the bridge.[7] In the outer shell of the bridge alone, 250 pipe-shaped stones from the aqueduct's main pressure conduit were re-used.[1] Since the aqueduct has been known to have functioned until into the 4th century AD, that provides a terminus post quem for the construction of the Eurymedon bridge, although it is still possible that an earlier bridge already existed on this location.[1] This bridge could possibly have been destroyed in the large earthquake of May 363, which also ruined the aqueduct, thus explaining the use of the latter's duct stones in the rebuilding of the bridge.[8]

Seljuq bridge

Close-up of the zigzag course
Re-used duct stones

In the early 13th century, the

late antique structure,[9] which had collapsed, probably also because of an earthquake.[2] The Seljuq builders followed closely the course of the Roman remains, even in sections where the piers had been partly moved downstream from their original position; as a result, the Seljuq bridge features a quite sharp displacement.[10] This zigzag course, formed by two successive, 90 degree bends, in combination with the pointed arches give the Seljuq-era bridge an appearance that is quite distinct from that of its Roman precursor.[9]

The Seljuq bridge is also considerably reduced in dimensions, something that allowed the full use of the Roman remains. Thus, for instance, the reduction of the width to almost half the original made the integration of halfway surviving ancient piers possible.[9] The medieval arches were also 4.1 m lower than the Roman ones,[2] and the length of the bridge was shortened, so that the new bridge ramp began at the place where the Roman structure had already reached its final height level.[9]

The bridge is mainly constructed of stone blocks,

Arabic.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Grewe 1999, p. 7
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Grewe 1999, p. 10
  3. ^ a b Grewe 1999, pp. 9f.
  4. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 9
  5. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 3
  6. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 8
  7. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 2
  8. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 12
  9. ^ a b c d e Grewe 1999, p. 11
  10. ^ Grewe 1999, p. 1
  11. ^ Grewe 1999, Images 1, 2, 5, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25
  12. ^ Grewe 1999, pp. 1f.

Sources

  • Grewe, Klaus (1999), "Im Zickzack-Kurs über den Fluß. Die römisch/seldschukische Eurymedon-Brücke von Aspendos (Türkei)", Antike Welt (in German), vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1–12

External links

Media related to Eurymedon Bridge (Aspendos) at Wikimedia Commons

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