The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge () is a historic bridge in

Višegrad Višegrad ( sr-cyrl, Вишеград, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It rests at the confluence of the Drina and the Rzav (Drina), Rzav river. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 10,668 in ...

, over the

Drina River The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...

in eastern

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

part of the

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...

entity. It was completed in 1577 by the Ottoman court architect

Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan (; , ; – 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 Empire, Ottoman architect, engineer and mathematician for sultans Suleiman ...

on the order of the

Grand Vizier Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...

Mehmed Paša Sokolović. In 2003 bridge was included into the List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina by KONS, and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

inclusion into the

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

followed in 2007.

Characteristics

It is characteristic of the apogee of Turkish monumental architecture and civil engineering. It numbers 11 masonry arches, with spans of 11 to 15 meters, and an access ramp at right angles with four arches on the left bank of the river. The bridge is a representative masterpiece of

, one of the greatest architects and engineers of the classical Ottoman period and a contemporary of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

, with which his work can be compared. The UNESCO summary states: ''The unique elegance of proportion and monumental nobility of the property as a whole bear witness to the greatness of this style of architecture.''

History

The Višegrad Bridge was commissioned by Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha Sokolović, who exercised power over a long period at the summit of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of three sultans as a tribute to his native region and a symbol of trade and prosperity. Construction of the bridge took place between 1571 and 1577. Major renovations of the bridge have taken place in 1664, 1875, 1911, 1940 and 1950–52. Three of its 11 arches were destroyed during World War I and five were damaged during World War II but subsequently restored.

Renovation

The bridge received UNESCO World Heritage Listing in 2007. The Turkish International Co-operation and Development Agency (TIKA) provided 3.5 million euros for the restoration of the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge. Representatives of TIKA, the BiH Commission for Co-operation with

, the

Cultural Ministry and the

municipality signed an agreement to renovate the bridge on 19 April 2010.

In literature

The bridge is widely known because of the book '' The Bridge on the Drina'' (1945) written by Yugoslav writer

Ivo Andrić Ivo Andrić ( sr-Cyrl, Иво Андрић, ; born Ivan Andrić; 9 October 1892 – 13 March 1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1961. His writ ...

, Nobel Prize–winning author.

Gallery

File:Mehmed Pasha sokolovic bridge, medieval inscriptions.jpg, The center pile of the bridge File:Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic Bridge Visegrad 1900.JPG, The bridge in circa 1890 File:Вишеградска ћуприја са Андрићградом 2.jpg, Andrićgrad and Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge

References

Relevant literature

*Ševo, Ljiljana. "Stari Višegradski most u narodnoj tradiciji, putopisima i umjetnosti." ''Baština'' II (2006): 173-191.

External links

*
Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge
visegradturizam.com
Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, official promo video 2019
youtube.com
UNESCO listing of Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad
whc.unesco.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic Bridge Ottoman bridges in Bosnia and Herzegovina Deck arch bridges Architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina World Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina Bridges completed in the 16th century Buildings and structures completed in 1577 Transport infrastructure completed in the 1570s Višegrad Mimar Sinan buildings Buildings and structures in Republika Srpska 1577 establishments in Europe Medieval Bosnia and Herzegovina architecture