Mesi Bridge Ura e Mesit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 42°06′52″N19°34′30″E / 42.1144°N 19.5749°E /42.1144; 19.5749 |
| Crosses | Kir River |
| Locale | Mes,Albania |
| Official name | Mes Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 108 m (354 ft) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1770 |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Mesi Bridge | |
Mesi Bridge (Albanian:Ura e Mesit,lit. 'The bridge in the middle')[1] is abridge in the village ofMes,[2] about 5 km (3.1 miles) northeast ofShkodër, in northwesternAlbania. It is a monument ofPostribë culture, turning the site into a tourist attraction with a lot of visitors from all around the world. For foreigners the architecture of the bridge is intriguing with round slick stones and stone plates. The surrounding panorama gives the bridge an even more picturesque view. The Albanian Development Fund invested 13 millionALL[3] so the tourists could step on the bridge and watch it closely because there was no entry way to the bridge.
It was built in the 18th century, around 1770, byKara Mahmud Bushati, the localOttomanpasha,[1] and spans theKir River.[4] The building was divided in 2 phases where the first phase was only the middle arc and the arc near it and the second phase included the other 11 arches. The purpose was to connect the city ofShkodër with the city ofDrisht and other cities of the northern side. It is 108 m (354 ft) long, 3.4 m (11 ft) meters wide, 12.5 m (41 ft) meters high with 13 arches, and is one of the longest examples of an Ottoman bridge in the region.[5] It was built as part of the road that goes up theKir Valley, eventually toPristina.[4]
Today the bridge is at risk, having been damaged over time by devastating floods, which have resulted in floodwaters cutting away at the arches on the right side, causing cracking.
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