Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge | |
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| Coordinates | 43°47′N19°17′E / 43.78°N 19.29°E /43.78; 19.29 |
| Crosses | Drina River |
| Locale | Višegrad,Republika Srpska,Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Official name | Most Mehmed-paše Sokolovića |
| Heritage status | |
| Official name | Mehmed paša Sokolovic Bridge, the historical monument |
| Type | Category 0 cultural-historical and natural monument |
| Criteria | A, B, C i.ii.iii.iv.v.vi., D iii.iv., E iii.v., F i.ii.iii., G i.ii.iii.iv.v.vi., H ii.iii. |
| Designated | 4 March 2003(session no. 08.2-6-101/03-5) |
| Reference no. | 769 |
| List | |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch |
| Material | Limestone |
| Total length | 179.5 metres |
| Traversable? | pedestrian |
| No. of spans | 11 |
| History | |
| Architect | Mimar Sinan |
| Constructed by | Sokollu Mehmed Pasha |
| Opened | 1577 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | pedestrian |
| Official name | Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Designated | 2007(31stsession) |
| Reference no. | 1260 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Location | |
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TheMehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge (Serbian:Мост Мехмед-паше Соколовића,romanized: Most Mehmed-paše Sokolovića) is a historic bridge inVišegrad, over theDrina River in easternBosnia and Herzegovina part of theRepublika Srpska entity. It was completed in 1577 by theOttoman court architectMimar Sinan on the order of theGrand VizierMehmed Paša Sokolović.[1] In 2003 bridge was included into theList of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina byKONS,[2] andUNESCO inclusion into theWorld Heritage List followed in 2007.
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 179.5-meter-long (589 ft) bridge is a representative masterpiece ofMimar Sinan, one of the greatest architects and engineers of the classical Ottoman period and a contemporary of theItalian Renaissance, 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.[3]
The Višegrad Bridge was commissioned by Grand VizierMehmed 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.[4]
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 withUNESCO, theRepublika Srpska Cultural Ministry and theVišegrad municipality signed an agreement to renovate the bridge on 19 April 2010.[5]
The bridge is widely known because of the bookThe Bridge on the Drina (1945) written by Yugoslav writerIvo Andrić,Nobel Prize–winning author.[4][6]
Media related toMehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad at Wikimedia Commons | ||
1with Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia 2with Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine | ||
