The Oldest Stone Bridge of Anatolia: The Tarsus Bridge

Year 2022, Issue: XXX, 307 - 326, 05.05.2022

İlkay Göçmen

Abstract

In Tarsus, one of the most important cities of the Cilician Region, a monumental arch
belonging to a bridge was found during an excavation carried out in 2007. The form of the arch
was evaluated as a segmental arch by its excavators and the date of the structure was suggested as
1st century CE. On the other hand, because of the intricate structuring particularly on the upstream
façade of the construction, some parts pertaining to the bridge were overlooked, and both the
evaluation of the arch form and its dating were done based upon insufficient findings. Therefore,
in this article, it is aimed to re-evaluate and clarify the construction date of the bridge based on the
newly identified features. When viewed from the downstream façade of the bridge, which extends
in the east-west direction, the monumental arch gives the impression of sitting on flat piers formed
by 5-6 courses of stone blocks and raised. On the upstream façade, a restricted part of the arch,
especially on the east side, can be seen. On this façade, it is observed that the bridge arch is not
placed on a pier and continues in the east direction from the pier. Moreover, on the same façade, it
it is obvious that the bridge pier, which causes an incorrect evaluation of the arch form, ends in the
vault before reaching the archivolt. Therefore, it can be suggested that the piers in question may
have been added to the vaults of the building in a later phase. Due to the newly detected features on
the upstream façade of the bridge, it is understood that the bridge arch primarily reflects the threecentered arch form, not the segment arch. It is known that this form is not used in Roman bridge
architecture. The result of analogical studies show that the most similar form stands in Rhodes.
The vaulted structure in Rhodes covers a drainage channel rather than a bridge, and the Hellenistic
period is suggested for the construction date. In addition, the remarkable features are that the
diagonal arch stones of the Tarsus Bridge are connected with iron clamps and mortar is not used.
As a result it has been possible to make some determinations in the context of architectural features
and construction techniques of the Tarsus Bridge: It has been concluded that the features of the
building point to the Hellenistic period. Furthermore it is aimed in this article to base the proposed
dating on solid evidence and in order to determine the construction date of the bridge based on the
findings, the history of the Hellenistic Period of Tarsus is examined. In the Hellenistic period, some
political arrangements were made in Tarsus along with the other cities of the region, especially by
the Seleucids. Evaluations for both the historical context and analogy as well as the architectural
features of the structure in question confirms that the bridge may have built in the 2nd century BCE

Keywords

Tarsus, Stone Bridge, Segmental Arch, Three-Centered Arch, Hellenistik Period, Seleucids.

References

• Adam 2005 Adam, J. P., Roman Building: Materials and Techniques (trans. A. Mathews), London and New York. Alkaç 2016 Alkaç, E., “Tarsus Bölgesi’nin Roma Dönemi Sonuna Kadar Tarihi- Coğrafyası ve Yapıları”, Tarsus Müzesi Heykeltraşlık Eserleri: Heykeltraşlık ve Mimari Plastik Eserler (ed. S. Durugönül), 19- 34, Mersin. Alkaç – Kaplan 2017 Alkaç, E. – Kaplan, D., Bir Başkentin Tarihi ve Anıtları: Tarsus, İstanbul.