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Uzunköprü Bridge
Ottoman stone bridge / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Uzunköprü (lit. transl. Long Bridge), formerly Cisr-i Ergene, is a 15th-century Ottoman stone bridge over the River Ergene in Edirne Province, northwestern Turkey. The bridge gave its name to the nearby town of Uzunköprü. It is claimed to be the world's longest stone bridge. It was built to facilitate crossing the Ergene for troops during river floods, and to replace a wooden bridge; previous structures had rapidly deteriorated or had been destroyed.
Uzunköprü Bridge | |
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![]() Uzunköprü in 2008 | |
Coordinates | 41°17′N 26°41′E |
Crosses | Ergene |
Locale | Uzunköprü, Edirne, Turkey |
Characteristics | |
Total length | 1,306.2 metres (4,285 ft) |
Width | 6.80 metres (22.3 ft) |
No. of spans | 168 |
History | |
Designer | Muslihiddin |
Construction start | 1426 or 1427 |
Construction end | 1443 or 1444 |
Opened | 1444 |
Closed | 2013 (heavy vehicles) September 2021 (all) |
Location | |
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Construction of the bridge was started in 1426 or 1427, and ended in 1443 or 1444. The newly-completed bridge had a length of 1,392 metres (4,567 ft), spanning 174 arches. The stones include several figures and motifs, which were replaced over time.
The bridge was repaired following earthquakes and floods, which decreased its length, and the number of its arches. In 1971, it was widened to 6.80 metres (22.3 ft) and was covered over with steel and concrete. Heavy vehicles were banned from using the bridge in 2013, as an alternative concrete bridge was being built. The bridge was closed to traffic in September 2021 for another restoration project after cracks had started to appear in the stones a few years earlier. One aim of the restoration is to excavate some of the buried arches.