The Dyavolski most ( bg, Дяволски мост, lit=Devil's Bridge; tr, Şeytan Köprüsü) is an

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

over the

Arda River Arda or ARDA may refer to: Places *Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece *Arda (Italy), a river in Italy *Arda (Douro), a river in Portugal *Arda, Bulgaria, a village in southern Bulgaria *Arda, County Fermanagh, a List of townlands in Co ...

in a narrow gorge. It is 10 km (6.2 mi) from the

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

n town of

Ardino Ardino ( bg, Ардино, formerly tr, Eğridere) is a town in southern Bulgaria, in the Rhodope Mountains. It is located in Kardzhali Province and it is also close to Smolyan. It is famous for its textile industry. It has a machine-building ...

in the

Rhodope Mountains The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...

and is part of the ancient road connecting the lowlands of

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

with the north

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...

coast. Dyavolski most was rebuilt between 1515 and 1518 by the Bulgarian Master Dimitar. Legend has it that the bridge was built by the Romans to link the Aegean Sea and the region of Thrace in Bulgaria. The bridge, the largest and best known of its kind in the Rhodopes, is 56 m (183.7 ft) long and has three arches, but also features holes with small semicircular arches to read water level. The Dyavolski most is 3.5 m (11.5 ft) wide and its main arch is 11.50 m (37.7 ft) high. A stone

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). Whe ...

, 12 cm (4.7 in) tall, is preserved on the sides, and

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...

s are placed opposite the stream. International long-distance hiking trail the

Sultans Trail The Sultans Trail is a long-distance footpath from Vienna to Istanbul. It is long. The path passes through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, East Macedonia and Thrace in northern Greece, and Turkey. History Sultans ...

passes the bridge from Ardino to Kardzhali. The bridge was proclaimed a monument of culture on 24 February 1984.

Gallery

File:DJI vp3.jpg, Devil's Bridge File:Dyavolski bridge.jpg, Dyavolski most in the autumn

References

* Journey.bg.
Dyavolski most, Ardino
'. Retrieved on 20 April 2006. * 203challenges.com
Devil’s Bridge in Bulgaria – cross over to the other side
'. Retrieved on 16 May 2017. {{Ardino Ottoman bridges in Bulgaria Buildings and structures in Kardzhali Province Tourist attractions in Kardzhali Province Stone arch bridges

Gallery

See also

References