First published: 30/09/21.

Clyde 0

The Malabadi Bridge

The Malabadi Bridge (On tentative list)

The Malabadi Bridge by Clyde

I visited this tWHS in Spring 2021 en route from Diyarbakir to Van lake. The arch bridge was built during the Artuqid period in 1146-1155 over the Batman river near the town of Silvan.

It was once the only bridge across the Batman river in this area, and was in continuous use until the 1950s, however in the 1950s a new road bridge was opened which is a real eyesore just behind the old bridge, together with a huge dam, beneath which some local boys were fishing with fishing nets from a small raft. The bridge is the longest spanned stone arch bridge in the world with its pointed arch of 40.86 metres over the deepest part of the river. The total length of the bridge is 281.67 metres, it is 7.15 metres wide. and has a height of 24.50 metres. It also has five arches with the main arch at the middle and there are two carved figures on the western support, one standing and one sitting. It is a very neat bridge but I don't think it's one of Turkey's best (especially since there is the much more impressive one near the Hevsel Gardens), let alone WH material. It was simply a pleasant picnic stopover point between Diyarbakir and Ahlat.

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