Malabadi Bridge

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The Malabadi Bridge (Turkish: Malabadi Köprüsü) is an arch bridge spanning the Batman River near the town of Silvan in southeastern Turkey. It was built between 1146 and 1147 during the Artuk period by Timurtas of Mardin, son of Ilgazi, grandson of Artuk. It was restored in the late twelfth century, and recently in the beginning of the 20th century. It was once the only bridge across the river in this area, and was in continuous use until the 1950s, when a new road bridge was opened upstream.

The span of the bridge crosses perpendicular to the river, but the roadway is at an angle to the river, so there are angular breaks in the east and west approaches. The approaches rise from ground level to meet the central span, which is a pointed arch high over the deepest part of the river. Constructed from colored solid masonry, the approaches have small arches built into them to let flood-waters through. Two of the piers of the bridge sit in the river; the western support is decorated with two carved figures, one standing and one sitting. The bridge is 150 m long and 7 m wide, 19 m in height. The roadway has two toll-booths, one either side of the main span. The spandrels of the main arch incorporate small rooms for weary travelers.