The bridge, along with much of the Arapgir Çayı valley, has been submerged since the completion of the Keban Dam in 1975, as a result of which the water level in the Euphrates valley and some of its upstream tributaries dramatically rose.[2]
The single arch of 17 m spans between the cliffs of the rocky gorge of the Arapgir Çayı, an affluent of the Euphrates.[3]
The structure belonged to the Roman road to Melitene, which was cut into the rock near the bridge at both sides of the river. Its name Karamağara ("black cave") probably derives from an artificially widened cavern on the southern bank which was carved into the darkish rock 75 m above the structure and served for protection of the crossing point. The bridge was quite frequently mentioned by early European travellers.[4]
As with other monuments in the region, the site was examined by the Middle East Technical University of Ankara prior to its flooding.[5] Further downstream, at the village of Bahadın, the remains of another now submerged Roman bridge may indicate the existence of an older crossing point.[4]
Pointed archedit
The pointed arch rib was built without mortar between the voussoirs.[2] On its eastern, downstream side a nearly intact Christian inscription in Greek runs along most of its length, citing almost verbatim Psalm 121, verse 8 of the Bible.[6] The text reads:
Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς φυλ[ά]ξει τὴν εἰσοδ[όν] σου κε τὴν ἐ[ξ]οδόν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἔως τοῦ αἰῶνος, ἀμὴ[ν], ἀμ[ὴν], ἀ[μὴν]. Kýrios ho Theós phyláxei tēn eisodón sou ke tēn exodón sou apó tou nyn kai héōs tou aiṓnos, amḗn, amḗn, amḗn. [The] Lord God may guard your entrance and your exit from now and unto all time, amen, amen, amen.
A paleographic analysis of the Greek letter forms yields a 5th- or 6th-century AD construction date for the bridge.[7] With the bulk of Roman masonry bridges resting on semi-circular arches, or, to a lesser extent, on segmental arches,[8] the Karamagara Bridge represents an equally rare and early instance of the use of pointed arches not only in late antique bridge building, but also in the history of architecture overall.[9] Along with other late Roman and Sassanian examples, mostly evidenced in early church building in Syria and Mesopotamia, the bridge proves the pre-Islamic origin of the pointed arch in Near Eastern architecture, which the Muslim conquerors subsequently adopted and built on.[9] The stones containing the Greek inscriptions were removed from the bridge and brought to the Elazığ Museum in 1972.[10]
^Dissard, Laurent. Submerged Stories from the Sidelines of Archaeological Science: The History and Politics of the Keban Dam Rescue Project (1967–1975) in Eastern Turkey (PhD dissertation). University of California, Berkeley. pp. 14–15. S2CID 126773006. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
Sourcesedit
Galliazzo, Vittorio (1995), I ponti romani, vol. 1, Treviso: Edizioni Canova, pp. 92, 93 (fig. 39), ISBN88-85066-66-6
Guillou, André (1993), La Civiltà bizantina, oggetti e messagio, Rome: L'Erma di Bretschneider, pp. 36, 62 (fig. 24), ISBN978-88-7062-801-2
Hellenkemper, H. (1977–1999), "Brücke: Byzantinischer Brückenbau", Lexikon des Mittelalters, vol. 2, Stuttgart: Metzler, pp. 730–731
Hild, Friedrich (1977), "Das byzantinische Strassensystem in Kappadokien", in Hunger, Herbert (ed.), Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für die Tabula Imperii Byzantini, vol. 2, Wien: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, p. 145, ISBN3-7001-0168-6
O’Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, p. 129 (E38), ISBN0-521-39326-4
Tunç, Gülgün (1978), Tas Köprülerimiz, Ankara, p. 108{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Warren, John (1991), "Creswell's Use of the Theory of Dating by the Acuteness of the Pointed Arches in Early Muslim Architecture", Muqarnas, vol. 8, Brill, pp. 59–65, doi:10.2307/1523154, JSTOR 1523154
Doomed by the Dam. A Survey of the Monuments threatened by the Creation of the Keban Dam Flood Area, Elazig, 18–29 October 1966, vol. 9, Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, 1967, pp. 54–57
April 13, 2024
karamagara, bridge, this, article, about, historic, roman, bridge, 2015, built, bridge, same, area, ağın, bridge, turkish, karamağara, köprüsü, bridge, black, cave, byzantine, late, roman, bridge, ancient, region, cappadocia, eastern, turkey, possibly, earlies. This article is about the historic Roman bridge For the 2015 built bridge in the same area see Agin Bridge The Karamagara Bridge Turkish Karamagara Koprusu Bridge of the Black Cave is a Byzantine or late Roman bridge in the ancient region of Cappadocia in eastern Turkey and possibly the earliest known pointed arch bridge 1 Karamagara BridgeThe single pointed arch of 17 m spanCoordinates38 55 30 N 38 39 31 E 38 924961 N 38 658486 E 38 924961 38 658486CarriesRoman road to MeliteneCrossesArapgir CayiLocaleNear Agin Elazig Province Eastern Anatolia Region TurkeyCharacteristicsDesignPointed arch bridgeMaterialStoneLongest span17 mNo of spans1HistoryConstruction end5th or 6th century ADLocationThe bridge along with much of the Arapgir Cayi valley has been submerged since the completion of the Keban Dam in 1975 as a result of which the water level in the Euphrates valley and some of its upstream tributaries dramatically rose 2 Contents 1 Location and situation 2 Pointed arch 3 See also 4 References 5 SourcesLocation and situation editThe single arch of 17 m spans between the cliffs of the rocky gorge of the Arapgir Cayi an affluent of the Euphrates 3 The structure belonged to the Roman road to Melitene which was cut into the rock near the bridge at both sides of the river Its name Karamagara black cave probably derives from an artificially widened cavern on the southern bank which was carved into the darkish rock 75 m above the structure and served for protection of the crossing point The bridge was quite frequently mentioned by early European travellers 4 As with other monuments in the region the site was examined by the Middle East Technical University of Ankara prior to its flooding 5 Further downstream at the village of Bahadin the remains of another now submerged Roman bridge may indicate the existence of an older crossing point 4 Pointed arch editThe pointed arch rib was built without mortar between the voussoirs 2 On its eastern downstream side a nearly intact Christian inscription in Greek runs along most of its length citing almost verbatim Psalm 121 verse 8 of the Bible 6 The text reads Kyrios ὁ 8eὸs fyl a 3ei tὴn eἰsod on soy ke tὴn ἐ 3 odon soy ἀpὸ toῦ nῦn kaὶ ἔws toῦ aἰῶnos ἀmὴ n ἀm ὴn ἀ mὴn Kyrios ho Theos phylaxei ten eisodon sou ke ten exodon sou apo tou nyn kai heōs tou aiṓnos amḗn amḗn amḗn The Lord God may guard your entrance and your exit from now and unto all time amen amen amen A paleographic analysis of the Greek letter forms yields a 5th or 6th century AD construction date for the bridge 7 With the bulk of Roman masonry bridges resting on semi circular arches or to a lesser extent on segmental arches 8 the Karamagara Bridge represents an equally rare and early instance of the use of pointed arches not only in late antique bridge building but also in the history of architecture overall 9 Along with other late Roman and Sassanian examples mostly evidenced in early church building in Syria and Mesopotamia the bridge proves the pre Islamic origin of the pointed arch in Near Eastern architecture which the Muslim conquerors subsequently adopted and built on 9 The stones containing the Greek inscriptions were removed from the bridge and brought to the Elazig Museum in 1972 10 See also editList of Eastern Roman inventionsReferences edit Galliazzo 1995 p 92 Warren 1991 pp 61 63 a b Galliazzo 1995 p 92 Galliazzo 1995 p 92 O Connor 1993 p 129 a b Hild 1977 p 145 Doomed by the Dam 1967 pp 54 57 Hild 1977 p 145 In the Vulgate translation of the Bible this is Psalm 120 which the source uses Galliazzo 1995 p 92 O Connor 1993 p 129 Hild 1977 p 145 Hellenkemper 1977 1999 pp 730 731 Guillou 1993 p 36 Mango 1976 p 129 Tunc 1978 p 108 Galliazzo 1995 pp 429 437 O Connor 1993 p 171 a b Warren 1991 pp 61 63 Dissard Laurent Submerged Stories from the Sidelines of Archaeological Science The History and Politics of the Keban Dam Rescue Project 1967 1975 in Eastern Turkey PhD dissertation University of California Berkeley pp 14 15 S2CID 126773006 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Sources editGalliazzo Vittorio 1995 I ponti romani vol 1 Treviso Edizioni Canova pp 92 93 fig 39 ISBN 88 85066 66 6 Guillou Andre 1993 La Civilta bizantina oggetti e messagio Rome L Erma di Bretschneider pp 36 62 fig 24 ISBN 978 88 7062 801 2 Hellenkemper H 1977 1999 Brucke Byzantinischer Bruckenbau Lexikon des Mittelalters vol 2 Stuttgart Metzler pp 730 731 Hild Friedrich 1977 Das byzantinische Strassensystem in Kappadokien in Hunger Herbert ed Veroffentlichungen der Kommission fur die Tabula Imperii Byzantini vol 2 Wien Verlag der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften p 145 ISBN 3 7001 0168 6 Mango Cyril 1976 Byzantine Architecture New York H N Abrams p 129 plate 138 ISBN 0 8109 1004 7 O Connor Colin 1993 Roman Bridges Cambridge University Press p 129 E38 ISBN 0 521 39326 4 Tunc Gulgun 1978 Tas Koprulerimiz Ankara p 108 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Warren John 1991 Creswell s Use of the Theory of Dating by the Acuteness of the Pointed Arches in Early Muslim Architecture Muqarnas vol 8 Brill pp 59 65 doi 10 2307 1523154 JSTOR 1523154 Doomed by the Dam A Survey of the Monuments threatened by the Creation of the Keban Dam Flood Area Elazig 18 29 October 1966 vol 9 Middle East Technical University Faculty of Architecture 1967 pp 54 57 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Karamagara Bridge amp oldid 1199046033, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
