Ancient and unusual bridges of Europe. The oldest bridge in the world Ancient bridges in the world

See the world's most beautiful pedestrian bridges for stunning views and stunning landscapes.

24 PHOTOS

1. Peak Walk, Switzerland. This stunning 107-meter suspension bridge connects the two peaks Swiss Alps- Peak Scex Rouge and Glacier 3000 - at an altitude of ... 3000 meters. Only kodak cameras can capture all the greatness of this beauty. (Photo: DENIS BALIBOUSE / Newscom / Reuters).
2. The 280-meter bridge in the form of human DNA - this can only be seen in Singapore. In the evening, computer-controlled lighting adds an incredible atmosphere to the Helix Bridge. (Photo: Suhaimi Abdullah / Getty Images).
3. The Carrick-a-Reed Rope Bridge in Ireland, built by local fishermen, stretches directly over a 30-meter abyss. (Photo: LOCOG / Getty Images).
4. The Trift Bridge in Switzerland is the longest suspension pedestrian bridge in the Alps. It is located above Lake Triftsee and is 170 meters long. (Photo: Urs Flueeler / AP Photo).
5. Benson Bridge in the United States. The 14-meter bridge was built over Multnomah Falls in Oregon. (Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler / LightRocket / Getty Images).
6. The Henderson Wave Bridge in Singapore. The undulating 275-meter bridge over Henderson Road is equipped with very beautiful LED illumination. (Photo: TIM CHONG / Newscom / Reuters).
7. The Suspension Bridge, called the Treetop, is located in the Valley of the Giants, Australia. This amazing bridge was built to allow visitors National park Walpole-Nornalup in Perth could walk and admire the crowns of giant eucalyptus trees. (Photo: REX Features).
8. Millennium Bridge at Gateshead, England. It is the world's first tilt bridge over the River Tyne and has won numerous architectural awards. Locals enjoy using it for walking and cycling from Gateshead to Newcastle. (Photo: Stu Forster / Getty Images).
9. Sky Bridge Langkawi, Malaysia. Located 700 meters above sea level, a curving bridge leads to the summit of Gunung Mat Chinchang. The bridge, which is 125 meters long, offers a breathtaking view of the Andaman Sea. (Photo: UIG / Getty Images).
10. Suspension Bridge Capilano in Canada. Built in 1889, the bridge sits 70 meters above the Capilano River, and appears to lie on the treetops of a virgin forest. (Photo: Rich Wheater / Aurora Photos / Corbis).
11. The Kokonoe Large Suspension Bridge "Yume" in Japan is currently the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is 390 meters long and 173 meters high. The bridge offers stunning views of the Shindonotaki Falls and the surrounding Kyusuikei forests. (Photo: UIG / Getty Images).
12. Root Bridge Cherrapunji in India. It is the most amazing natural bridge in the world that was made by the Khasi tribe. The roots of the surrounding rubber trees were channeled by the locals to form strong, natural bridges over time that could hold 50 people. (Photo: Amos Chapple / Getty Images).
13. Bridge of Peace in Georgia. The arcuate bridge, designed by the Italian architect Michel De Lucchi, is located over the Kura River in Tbilisi. The bridge was constructed in Italy and transported to the construction site in 200 trucks. (Photo: David Sucsy / Getty Images).
14. Sonimgyo Bridge South Korea... This arched bridge over Jeongjeen Falls on Jeju Island is decorated with 14 statues of nymphs playing different musical instruments. (Photo: Jupiterimages / Getty Images).
15. Nesciobrug in the Netherlands. It is the longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Europe. Its length is 780 meters. The bridge runs over Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal and connects two districts: Amsterdam-Oost and IJburg. (Photo: Richard Wareham Fotografie / Getty Images).
16. Stone bridge in Spain. The Stone Bridge is the only road connecting the island of San Juan de Gastelugache to the mainland. A bridge running over the ocean leads to a hermitage with a small church. (Photo: Getty Images).
17. Bridge of the Woman in Argentina. The shape of the bridge, designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, was inspired by the movements of a couple dancing tango. The 160-meter bridge is located over the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires. (Photo: Diego Giudice / Bloomberg).
18. Tree Top Canopy Walk, Malaysia. The 300-meter bridge is nestled in the treetops of a rainforest on the island of Borneo. It is equipped with observation deck, from which you can admire the forest, which is ... more than 130 million years old. (Photo: Andrea Pistolesi / Getty Images).
19. Royal Gorge Bridge in the USA. Built in 1929, the 385-meter bridge over the Arkansas River, Colorado is one of the region's most popular attractions. The Royal Gorge Bridge, at 305 meters, was the tallest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2001. (Photo: David Zalubowski / AP Photo).
20. Suspension bridge Tigbao in the Philippines. The bridge looks as if it is about to fall apart, however, this is only an appearance. Hanging 25 meters above the Loboc River, the bridge is made of metal. The bamboo finish is just the outer layer of the structure. (Photo: OTHK / Getty Images).
21. Rialto Bridge in Venice. It is one of the most famous bridges in the world and a very popular attraction. The Rialto Bridge, which sits directly above the Grand Canal, was originally made of wood. The current stone structure was built between 1588 and 1591 under the direction of the architect Antonio da Ponte. (Photo: Manuel Silvestri / Reuters).
22. The Chengyang Bridge in China, also known as the Yongji Bridge or Rainy Bridge, was built in 1916 over the Linxi River in the Sanjiang region. It is made of wood and stone and is 65 meters high. (Photo: REX Features).
23. Old bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Built in 1566, the arched bridge is an example of classical Ottoman architecture. During the war between Croatia and Bosnia in 1993, the bridge was destroyed. The old bridge was restored only in 2004. (Photo: Kelly Chang Travel Photography / Getty Images).
24. Pont du Gard in France. This Roman bridge that has stood the test of time is inscribed on the List world heritage UNESCO. Built in ancient times, on the banks of the Gard River, the three-level bridge is one of the most famous tourist attractions in France. (Photo: REX Features).

10.01.2019 - 11:38

We have all heard of various ancient buildings, but most of them are now just tourist attractions and not used for their intended purpose. However, there are several bridges, built hundreds and even thousands of years ago, along which people and vehicles actively move. Often bridges are destroyed in disasters, in wars, burn down and explode, but the structures on this list have survived for centuries.

The ancient Romans created many things that have stood the test of time. Thanks to their amazing technology, structures built during the Roman era stand to this day. One of them is the Fabricius Bridge in Rome.

The bridge was created by Lucius Fabricius in 62 BC to replace a burnt wooden bridge. It is curious that for more than 2000 years of existence, the bridge was practically not repaired.

Bridge Ponte Vecchio located in the Italian city of Florence. It was built in 1345 to replace the wooden bridge at the narrowest point of the Arno River. It is still as gorgeous as it was centuries ago.

Ponte Vecchio was originally used as a place for shopping malls - it housed butcher and fish shops so that the smell of slaughter did not disturb the townspeople.

There is a version that it was on him that the concept of "bankruptcy" was born. When the merchant had nothing to repay his debts, the counter on which he placed his goods ("banco") was broken ("rotto") by the guards. This practice became known as "bancorotto", because without the counter, the merchant was no longer able to sell anything.

In the 18th century, King Ferdinand I banned the fish and meat trade on the bridge, and since then, jewelry and later souvenir shops have been placed on it.

It is curious that during the Second World War, Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge not blown up by the Nazis in Florence.

The Rialto Bridge is located in Venice and serves as a crossing over the famous Grand Canal. In its place there were many other bridges, wooden, which were destroyed by fires, and in the 16th century it was decided to build a stone bridge.

It was created by a little-known architect Antonio de Ponte. Even before construction began, the project was criticized, and after the construction of the bridge, many predicted that it would soon collapse. However, centuries have passed, and the post still stands in its place.

The Russian traveler P.A.Tolstoy wrote about him at the end of the 17th century:

“There are many bridges in Venice, both stone and village, between which there is one stone bridge, very large and wide, which the Italians call Arialt. On that bridge, on both sides, there are shops where they sell all sorts of small goods. Beyond that bridge, there are great rows in which silver courts and cloth are sold. Great courts with goldfinches can come under that bridge, so that that bridge is extremely high, made on one vault and a fair amount of work. The Viennese people are divided in two: those who live on the other side of this Arialtu bridge, where the church of the team of St. Mark is, they are called kostelians; and those who live from those behind that great bridge mentioned, those are called Nicoliots, - and they have a secret enmity with each other. And there are great fist fights between the vile people between the Nicoliots and the Kashtelians. On that remembered great bridge in those kulash battles, there is a lot of murder and death. "

This arched stone footbridge over the Zayande River is located in the Iranian city of Isfahan. The Haju Bridge consists of 24 arches and is 133 meters long and 12 meters wide. The bridge has two tiers decorated with tiles. It was built in 1650 - on the foundations of an old bridge. This structure performs three functions at once - at the same time it is a dam, a resting place and serves to cross the river. In the middle of the bridge there is a pavilion for the ruler - Shah Abbas II, in which he rested, admiring the river.

This bridge, also known as the "Bridge of Sighs", is located in Yemen. Built in the 17th century, the Shahara Bridge connects two mountains over a deep gorge. There are villages on each mountain, and before the bridge was built, it was very difficult for their inhabitants to communicate with each other.

This bridge is one of the main tourist attractions in Yemen and is featured on the 10 riyals coin.

The Jendere Bridge is located in Turkey. It was built in the 2nd century AD by the Romans. It is one of the longest arched bridges of the era ancient rome- its length is about 120 meters. It rests on two rocks and consists of 92 stones. The bridge was created in honor of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, his wife Julia Domna and their sons Caracalla and Geta. On each side of the bridge, there are columns that are erected in honor of the emperor and his wife (on one side) and their children (on the other). There is currently no column in honor of Geth. When Caracalla came to power, he killed Geth and tried to erase any mention of him - and Geth's column was destroyed.

Anji Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in China, built in 605 AD. Its name can be translated as "safe passage". At the time, it was the most technically advanced bridge in the country, with the largest arch. Interestingly, modern engineers have appreciated this bridge, it even received awards from the American Society of Engineering. The bridge has survived ten floods, eight wars and a large number of earthquakes, while being repaired only nine times.

The bridge over the Tiber River, built by Emperor Hadrian in 136 AD, is one of the most famous bridges in Rome and one of the most beautiful. It is faced with marble slabs. This bridge leads to the Castel Sant'Angelo, on top of which is the statue of the Archangel Michael. But this is not the only reason why the bridge is called the Saint Angel's Bridge. In 1668, the sculptor Lorenzo Bernini decorated the bridge with ten angels. Even after many years, the angels and the bridge are perfectly preserved, which makes it a great attraction.

This small bridge, made of stone slabs, is located in British Exmoor Park and connects the banks of the Barlo speech. It is difficult to say when it was built, some researchers believe that it could have been created in 3000 BC. There is a local legend that says that this bridge is the creation of the devil himself, who has vowed to kill anyone who dares to cross it. They say that initially a cat was allowed to cross the bridge, and he immediately disappeared. Then the locals sent a vicar across the bridge - they say, the devil would not dare to touch the priest.

The devil and the vicar met halfway across the bridge and made an agreement. Anyone can walk on Tarr Steps, but only if the devil does not take sunbathing on the bridge at that moment. So the locals say, "Before you decide to walk the Tarr Steps, make sure that no demons are sunbathing at the moment."

Unfortunately, Tarr Steps has suffered some damage over the centuries. Some of its stones were destroyed by floods, but the bridge is periodically restored, so that it can serve for many more years.

The Arcadiko pedestrian bridge in Greece is the oldest surviving arch bridge. It is assumed that it was built around 1300 BC, that is, it went through a lot before it survives to this day. This bridge is somewhat wider than ordinary pedestrian bridges - about 2.5 meters, it is possible that chariots drove along it in ancient times. The bridge is made of huge boulders, without any cementing mortar, but has remained unbreakable for thousands of years.

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Photo con. 1900s He's the same.

Photo of the beginning. 1850s Vsekhsvyatsky (Kamenny; Bolshoi Kamenny) bridge (built in the 1680s)

Photo of 1852 by R. Fenton. He

Photo con. 1860s Stone (Vsekhsvyatsky; Big Stone) bridge. The second stone bridge on this site (built at the end of the 1850s).

Photo of the 1900s. Maly Kamenny Bridge over the Kanavka (Vodootvodny Canal).

Photo of the beginning. 1910s He

Photo con. 1890s - early. 1900s Moskvoretsky bridge

Photo con. 1890s He's the same.

Photo con. 1889 - early. 1890s Bolshoi Ustyinsky Bridge (built in 1881 according to the project of engineer V.N.Speyer).

Photo of the 1900s. He

Photo con. 1860s - 1870s On the right in the picture is the Pig-Iron Bridge over the Kanavka (built in the 1830s).

Photo of the beginning. 1880s He

Photo1908. Komissariatskiy bridge on Kanavka. It was located further downstream than the current one, which is a continuation of the Ustyinsky bridge. Photo taken after the 1908 "Easter" flood.

Photo of the beginning. 1890s Babegorodskaya dam

Photo of 1934. Crimean bridge

Photo of the beginning. 1930s He

Photo of 1907 Krasnokholmsky bridge

Photo of 1908 Krasnokholmskaya dam

Photo of 1934. Big Krasnokholmsky Bridge.

Photo of the 1900s. Novospassky bridge

Photo con. 1900s Vsekhsvyatsky pontoon bridge near Simonov Monastery. I wrote a lot about this bridge at one time (see the tag "mysterious All Saints Bridge").

Photo of 1910 - 1920s. He

Photo of 1907. Alekseevsky (Kozhukhovsky, now - Danilovsky) bridge.

Photo of 1907. The same.

Photo of 1908 Dorogomilovsky (Borodinsky) bridge

Photo of 1911 Demolition of the old Borodino bridge

Photo con. 1900 - 1910s Krasnoluzhsky (Nikolaevsky; Nicholas II) bridge. Railroad bridge across the Moskva River. Built in 1905-1907, designed by engineer L. D. Proskuryakov and architect A. N. Pomerantsev. In 2000, it was moved 2 km. Now - the pedestrian bridge of Bohdan Khmelnitsky.

Photo con. 1900 - 1910s He

Photo of the 1910s. He

Photo of 1905. Temporary wooden railway bridge of the engineer. Lembke - the forerunner of the Andreevsky (Sergievsky) bridge

Photo 1904-1905 He

Photo of 1908. Andreevsky (Sergievsky) bridge. Railway bridge over the Moskva River. Built in 1905-1907, designed by engineer L. D. Proskuryakov and architect A. N. Pomerantsev. Now, moved downstream and reconstructed, is the pedestrian Pushkin Bridge.

Bridges across the Yauza

Photo of the 1930s. Old Yauzsky (Astakhovsky) bridge (built in 1876 on the supports of the 1805 bridge).

Photo of 1938 by B. Ignatovich. He's in the middle ground. Will be dismantled in 1940, and in its place will be built new bridge, still valid.

Photo of 1929. The bridge across the Yauza near Serebryanichesky lane

Photo of 1902. Vysoko-Yauzsky (High) bridge.

Photo of 1887 from N.A.Naydenov's albums. He

Photo of 1935 Kostomarovsky bridge

Photo of the 1870s. Colorized photo. Andronikov viaduct - railway bridge

Photo of 1888. He

Photo of the 1890s. He

Photo of the 1900s. Palace (Lefortovsky) bridge. The oldest of all the existing Moscow bridges (and is located above the river). Built in the 1770s-1790s. Although, of course, it was later reconstructed, but without demolition.

Photo of 1919. He

Photo of 1907 Hospital bridge

Photo of the 1930s. Hospital bridge

Photo of the 1930s. Sailor bridge

Photo of the 1930s. Rubtsovsky (Pokrovsky; now - Electrozavodsky) bridge

Photo of 1896. Bridge of Moscow-Kazan railroad(now here is the railway Electrozavodsky bridge)

An article about a pedestrian wooden bridge over the Foch Canal in Trogir. The superstructure consists of two oak double-hinged arches with a span of 25 meters with the possibility of simple dismantling. All elements are made of solid oak and are connected with usual joinery joints. All this is done to fit the bridge into the atmosphere of the ancient city.

Trogir is a small historic Croatian town on the Adriatic coast. About 20 km west of Split. Due to its rich architectural and cultural heritage, the historical center of the city is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Register. Historical Center The town is located on a small island, about 400 m long and 200 m wide, connected to the mainland by a small stone arched bridge on the north side. South side connected by a steel-reinforced concrete movable bridge with the island of Ciovo.
A new wooden bridge is thrown over the Forsa Canal and connects Old city Trogir with parking on the mainland. It is located 600 m west of the existing stone bridge.
The assignment required a traditional-style wooden bridge with a removable superstructure to allow small boats to pass under the bridge. To harmonize with the architecture of the old city, it was allowed to use only natural wood elements and traditional joinery.

The arched structure of the bridge was chosen as one of the oldest natural bearing systems in the history of construction. In addition, the arch allows small boats to navigate the canal and looks elegant.
The superstructure consists of two branches of double-hinged arches 480x680 with a constant radius of 21.7 m, a span of 25 meters. The branches of the arches are located on the sides of the section, and are interconnected by wooden cross beams every 0.8 m with a two-layer plank flooring.

The selected double-hinged arched superstructure is not susceptible to foundation settlement. The foundations are massive reinforced concrete hidden under the staircase of the entrance. The hinges between the arches and the foundation are made of sheet steel.
The arrow of the arches is 4 m, which provided a navigable clearance of 4.5 m. This arrow was chosen based on the balance of aesthetic, pedestrian, navigation and technical requirements.
The width of the passage is 3 m, the total width of the bridge is 4.16 m. The clear distance between the branches of the arches is 3.2 m. The load-bearing elements are made of solid oak on traditional joints. Steel railings with oak handrail, made as transparent as possible.


Each branch of the arch consists of 4 oak beams 240x340 mm, assembled in a section of 480x680 mm. The union of the branch section is made with stainless steel bolts and studs. The cross beams act as dowels between the beams. Bolts made of steel with a strength of 360 MPa: horizontal - 20 mm, vertical - 24 mm. The bolts are installed in drilled holes in epoxy resin, the contact surfaces of the oak beams are also epoxy coated. Epoxy resin with aggregates is immune to changes in wood moisture and weather conditions. The bolts are tightened to 12 kN for 20 mm and 15 kN for 24 mm. In the calculation of the composite section of the arch, only bolts, spikes and cross beams were taken as dowels, epoxy was not taken into account.
In the longitudinal direction, the beams of the arch are connected by an oblique joint at a length of 1 m. Fig. 5 sec. Longitudinal force transmission is ensured by stainless steel studs. The joints are spaced in length, only one joint falls into each section. The crossbeam is attached to the arch in the middle of the longitudinal joint of the beams. The axial distance between the joints of the beams in the semi-arch is 3.2 m, i.e. 1.6 m in the arch as a whole.

To avoid bending straight beams, great efforts have been made to find oak trees with natural curvature. Small deviations of the curvature from the design were taken so that the correction of the initial curvature of the beam would have as little effect as possible on the decrease in the bearing capacity of the branches of the arch and the superstructure as a whole. Most of the beams are 7.4 m long and only two beams are 8.5 m long. The curved handrail was also made from naturally curved oak trees.
The overall rigidity of the superstructure is given by the transverse beams of 220 × 220 mm, together with the two-layer cross-planking. They are pinched along the axis of the branches of the arches and cantilever protrude 0.25 m beyond the plane of the arches (Fig. 5b). The cross-section of the cross-beam in the connection is reduced to 120x140 mm, the connection of the cross-beam and the arch branch is provided with screws. The net section of the cross beams is capable of transmitting bending, torsional and shear forces. The location of the cross beams along the axis makes it possible for the branches of the arches to serve as the border of the pedestrian walkway.

The boardwalk is made of two perpendicular layers of 30 mm planed planks in a groove. The first layer of the boards is longitudinal, the second is transverse. The longitudinal boards are nailed to the transverse beams with nails at intervals of 2.4 m, so 50% of the boards are nailed in one section. The second layer is connected by nails at the crossbeams and short metal clamps between the crossbeams. Additionally, two layers of flooring are glued with epoxy resin.
Longitudinal and transverse forces are transferred from the wooden arches to the concrete foundation via galvanized support pivots (fig. 5e). The upper balancer of the hinge covers the heel of the arch with a metal cage, the lower balancer is fixed in the concrete foundation by 4 rods 32x1400 mm. The balancers of the support hinge are connected via a 50 mm pin.

Proper drying of the wood took special attention and a lot of time. Drying was carried out in a drying unit with continuous monitoring of changes in humidity in the depth of the section of each branch of the arch and regulation of air temperature and humidity. Drying of wood took place with high quality, only a few cracks appeared on the elements of the completed bridge. Rice. 6 shows the changes in moisture content along the cross-sectional height of the branches of the arch during drying. Temperature and humidity ranged from 32 to 36 ° C and 50 to 56%, respectively.

Since the bridge is weathered, the protection of the timber structure is very important to ensure the operational reliability and durability of the timber bridge. Therefore, after fitting and control assembly, all elements were sandblasted to remove all fragile layers of wood. After that, all the wooden elements were dipped into a bath with a preservative composition against fungi, insects, moisture and other harmful effects. Impregnation with a colorless fungicide was carried out with a single immersion. Subsequently, a weather resistant coating was applied in two immersions. The wide cracks were additionally moistened and filled with mortar with a durable plastic sealant. The last layer of protection made in the workshop consisted of immersing the elements in a protective matt varnish.
During final assembly, all wood contact surfaces were coated with epoxy and all screw holes were filled. The screws and spikes were also dipped in epoxy prior to installation. After the completion of the bridge assembly, the protective layer in the damaged areas was restored, and in addition the entire structure was covered with a layer of varnish. In the future, it is planned to cover the wood with at least two layers of protective varnish every two years.

Some design provisions
The bridge was calculated and designed in accordance with the Eurocodes. The structure was modeled on the spatial elements of arches, crossbeams and boardwalk. The decking above the crossbeams was not included in the calculation of the bearing capacity of the bridge and thus increases the safety factor. The work of the deck was taken into account only when calculating the horizontal displacements by increasing the lateral bending stiffness of the arch.
For the longitudinal joints of the elements of the branches of the arch, a friction coefficient of 0.6 was adopted when calculating the stiffness (displacement) and 0.5 when checking the stress state. All symmetric and asymmetric loading schemes with a pedestrian load of 5 kN / m2 are considered. Wind load is taken from a wind speed of 180 km / h in the direction of the axis of the bridge and vertically. The effect of humidity fluctuations was modeled as a uniform temperature variation of ± 30 ° C along the length of the elements, and a non-uniform variation of ± 10 ° C along the section height of the timber elements.
The horizontal spacing of the design elements of the arch is 20 mm. Acceleration of the base for seismic analysis 0.25 g. Seismic forces are calculated by the superposition method using the first 20 modes of free vibration. The accepted value of the coefficient of work is 2.0. The bulk of ships is taken as 100 kN of static lateral horizontal forces in the crown of the arch. Bending moments, torques, longitudinal and transverse forces of all loadings for cross beams in connection with an arch, with a net cross section of a cross beam of 0.12x0.14 m.
The bearing capacity of the superstructure is significantly higher because the deck was not included in the calculation. The vertical movement of the arch is small due to its stiffness. There are no vibration problems under pedestrian traffic. the design frequency of the first mode of the bridge is 3.5 Hz.

Construction and Conclusion
The base under the foundations was reinforced using the jet-grouting technology, injecting a liquid binder into the soil under high pressure. The support was concreted "dry" with pumping of leaked water from the pit.
All timber structures of the bridge were made in the factory (Fig. 7), and a control assembly of the arches and crossbeams was carried out (Fig. 8). Then the superstructure was completely assembled on the site near the bridge (Fig. 9). After that, the entire superstructure was put on the supporting hinges by a truck crane (Fig. 10). And finally, stone staircases of approaches, railings with oak handrails, and other finishing works were built. The completed bridge is shown on
rice. 11 and 12.

Rice. 11. Completed bridge. Facade

Rice. 12. Completed bridge.

Client: Administration of Trogir
Design: Professor Jure Radnic PhD, Radnic d.o.o., Split
Construction:
Superstructure: "Naprijed Sinj d.o.o.", Sinj
Foundation
And the stone staircase: Point d.o.o., Split
Technical control: "Kozina projekt d.o.o.", Trilj

Bridge indicators
Oak forest, m3 38.0
Concrete, m3 112.0
Rebar, t 11.2
Cost, thousand EUR 300.0
Completion date, June 2006

The ancient Sumerian city of Girsu is located about halfway between the modern cities of Baghdad and Basra in southern Iraq. He is one of the earliest famous cities a world with a history of at least five thousand years. Girsu was the capital of the Lagash Kingdom, a sacred metropolis in honor of the Sumerian heroic god Ningirsu, and continued to be its religious center after political power shifted to the city of Lagash.

It was in Girsu that evidence of the existence of the Sumerian civilization was first discovered in the form of thousands of cuneiform tablets with registers of economic, administrative and commercial issues of the city. Over fifty years of excavations at this mega-archaeological site have uncovered some of the most important monuments of Sumerian art and architecture, including a 4,000-year-old brick-built bridge that is the oldest bridge discovered in the world to date.

Girso was first explored by a team of French archaeologists in 1877, even before modern excavation and conservation methods were invented. The French were also reluctant to follow protocol and paid little attention to preserving architectural monuments... The treasure hunters then looted many artifacts and sold them to collectors. It is estimated that between 35,000 and 40,000 items were looted from Girsu and subsequently entered the market, as opposed to 4,000 official French finds. Without a doubt, this is one of the most unique bridges the world.

The Girsu Bridge was first discovered in the 1920s. At the time, it was interpreted as a temple, dam and water regulator. Only recently has the structure been identified as a bridge over an ancient waterway. Since excavations almost a century ago, the bridge has remained open and subjected to constant impact, without any effort to preserve the landmark.

The modern Arabic name for Girsu is Tello, and the site is currently being used by the British Museum with financial support from the British government to train Iraqi archaeologists in management cultural heritage and practical fieldwork skills.

The restoration of the 4,000-year-old bridge will be part of the curriculum, according to a recent statement from the museum.