History of Köprüpazar Bridge

The Köprüpazar Bridge is a historic crossing located near Aspendos over the Köprüçay river, historically known as the Eurymedon. The structure standing today was built by the Seljuq Dynasty in the 13th century upon the foundations and remaining stone blocks of an earlier Roman bridge.

The original form and layout of the Roman-era bridge have been digitally reconstructed using extant remains such as ramps, abutments, and pier foundations. According to these studies, the ancient bridge measured 259.50 meters in length, 9.44 meters in width, and featured nine semicircular arches. To protect against the river's current, wedge-shaped breakwaters and reinforced masonry structures were incorporated. Furthermore, hollow chamber construction on the right ramp and 1.5-meter-long iron rods used to secure the foundation masonry demonstrate the advanced nature of ancient engineering.

The exact construction date of the Roman bridge remains uncertain, but it is closely linked to the Aqueduct of Aspendos, parts of which were reused in its outer walls. Since the aqueduct functioned until the 4th century AD, the bridge could not have been built prior to that era. Scholars suggest that both the ancient bridge and the aqueduct may have been destroyed in the major earthquake of 363 AD, which explains why perforated conduit stones from the aqueduct were utilized in the rebuilding efforts.

Following the collapse of the late Roman bridge, likely due to another earthquake, a new bridge was constructed during the reign of the Seljuq Sultan Kayqubad I (1219–1237). The Seljuq builders utilized the remaining parts of the ancient structure as much as possible, though some piers had shifted due to the force of the river's current.

The Seljuq bridge features considerably smaller dimensions compared to its ancient predecessor. Its width was reduced by half, its arches were built 4.1 meters lower than the Roman ones, and the overall length was shortened. This adaptation allowed the builders to integrate surviving ancient foundations and piers successfully into the medieval design.

One of the most striking visual differences of the Seljuq bridge is its zigzag course. Because the builders followed the displaced alignment of the ancient piers near the center of the river, the bridge bends sharply. Combined with its pointed arches, this layout gives the Seljuq structure an appearance quite distinct from the Roman original.

The bridge was primarily constructed using cut stone blocks alongside reused antique materials. Notably, the perforated conduit stones from the Aspendos aqueduct were reused for a third time in the ramp section. During restoration works carried out in the late 1990s on the crumbling breastwork, stones bearing Greek and Arabic inscriptions were also discovered within the structure.