Turkey - The Bridge of Uzunköprü

Balkans had always been attached strategic importance due to its position as outpost area and served as technologic, information and communicational bridge between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. The road alignments connecting Anatolia to the Balkans and Central Europe have always been of particular importance due to the strategic emphasis on Balkans. Uzunköprü (Long Bridge), located approximately 60 km south from the modern city center of Edirne, was built on one of the most challenging passages of Ergene River (in antiquity: Agrianes/Erginus or Riga) in the Balkans. This location is very important as it was a transition point between the Balkans and Anatolia. The bridge constructed by the Architect Muslihiddin between 1427 and 1443 during the reign of the sixth Ottoman Padishah Sultan Murad II along with the epitaph on the bridge is featured to be the longest stone bridge on earth surviving to date with 1392 m length, 174 arches and 6.10 m width. The year of 1443, when the construction was completed, correspond to the pre-classic period of the Ottoman Empire architecture. In this period the Empire built universally well-known superior structures. The architect of the bridge is Muslihiddin, was the chief state architect of the period. Architect Muslihiddin is one of the most important of all medieval architects and at the same time he was the leading architect of the classical period of Ottoman architecture with the bridges, social and religious complexes and mosques he built.