Mustafa Pasha Bridge ( bg, Стар мост, ''Star most'') or The Old Bridge is a 16th-century

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

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Svilengrad Svilengrad ( bg, Свиленград; el, Σβίλενγκραντ; ota, Cisr-i Mustafapaşa) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria, situated at the border of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the h ...

, southern

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 ...

. Completed in 1529, it was built on the order of the Ottoman vizier

Çoban Mustafa Pasha Çoban Mustafa Pasha ("Mustafa Pasha the Shepherd"; died 1529) was an Ottoman statesman. Likely born in Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbian Sandzak, and collected through Devshirme to Janissaries, where he gradually rose through the ranks, he eventu ...

. The bridge was the first major work designed by the Ottoman architect

Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empir ...

, and was part of a

vakıf A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or ''mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitable ...

complex that also included a

caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

and hamam. The bridge is 295 m long, 6 m wide and has 20 or 21 arches.Pictures of Bulgaria.
Settlements: Svilengrad
'. Visited 16 April 2006.Balkan Travellers
Along Suleiman the Magnificent's Bridge in Svilengrad
''. Visited 12 January 2010. The English traveler Peter Mundy crossed the bridge on 14 May 1620, by when the neighbouring town was already known as "Mustapha Pasha Cupreesee" (Mustapha Pasha's Bridge): Мост на Мустафа паша

A flood destroyed some of the arches in 1766. Reconstruction was completed in 1809.Bridges in Bulgaria.
Arch stone bridge over Maritsa River at Svilengrad town
'. Visited 11 May 2006. The Ottoman army unsuccessfully attempted to destroy the bridge as it retreated from a Bulgarian advance after the

Battle of Lule Burgas The Battle of Lule Burgas ( tr, Lüleburgaz Muharebesi) or Battle of Luleburgas – Bunarhisar ( bg, Битка при Люлебургас – Бунархисар , tr, Lüleburgaz – Pınarhisar Muharebesi) was a battle between the Kingdom ...

during the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

in November 1912. A plaque on the bridge has inscriptions in Bulgarian, French and English. The English text reads:

References and notes

{{reflist Ottoman bridges in Bulgaria Bridges completed in 1529 Buildings and structures in Haskovo Province Stone arch bridges