Mighty Roman Bridge of Cordoba in Spain
Just before exiting Cordoba we paused to have a good look at the Roman Bridge and the surrounding areas.
Roman Bridge of Cordoba Spain
This mighty structure existing from 1st century BC took our breath away. Beneath the Roman Bridge, tamed for centuries by this bridge, River Guadalquivir silently flowed by. The name of the river comes from the Arabic al-wadi al-kabir, meaning – great river. It is the second longest river of Spain.
Look beyond the bridge to see the Calahorra Tower. This too is of Islamic origin.
The arches of the old bridge seemed most majestic; there are 16 of them. This Roman Bridge of Cordoba has undergone several reconstructions and renovations over the centuries. Only 14 and 15th arch belongs to the original structure. Those are typical Moorish architectural style and add to unusual beauty of the bridge.
Total length – 247m
Width – 9m.
Additions to the Bridge
Some artistic additions have been added to the bridge. Notable among them is sculpture of St. Raphael added to the eastern side in 17th century. It was made by Renaissance sculptor Bernabé Gómez del Rio.
Islamic Water Wheel in Cordoba
From the road we could spot a restored Islamic water wheel. May be in the medieval times it raised water to the Caliph’s Palace and the famous Mezquita Mosque. The mills worked on the water force of Guadalquivir River to grind flour.
It’s the ruined Albolafia noria, one among the last vestiges of mills, dams, flood protection and canals that the Umayyads built between 8th and 10th centuries. There are several mills along the banks of the Guadalquivir, now named as Mills of the Guadalquivir. They have declared these watermills as an Andalusian Historical Heritage site.
History from wiki
The bridge was built by the Romans in the early 1st century BC, perhaps replacing a previous one in wood. It currently, after the Islamic reconstruction, has 16 arcades, one less than original ones, and a total length of 247 meters. The width is around 9 meters.
The Via Augusta, which connected Rome to Cádiz, most likely passed through it. During the early Islamic domination the Muslim governor Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani ordered a bridge to be built on the ruins of what was left of the old Roman construction.
In the Middle Ages, the Calahorra Tower and the Puerta del Puente were built at the bridge’s southern and northern ends, respectively (the latter is now a 16th-century reconstruction). The bridge was reconstructed and expanded to its current size.
The arches depict the famous Moorish architecture that dominates the city’s scenery. In the 17th century, a sculpture depicting St. Raphael was put in the mid of the bridge, executed by Bernabé Gómez del Río.
During its history, the bridge was restored and renovated several times (in particular in the 10th century), and now only the 14th and 15th arches (counting from the Puerta del Puente) are original. It was extensively restored in 2006.
Interesting update:
In season five of Game of Thrones, the Roman Bridge of Cordoba doubled as The Long Bridge of Volantis spanning the mouth of the Rhoyne River.
I love the wheel in the first photo!
Indrani thanks for this trip,ancient structures are marvelous.
An interesting place!
Wow! Amazing shots
Impressive architecture of the ancient Roman Bridge shows how skilled the workers were !
Impressive structure.Great shot.
Interesting !
Impressive. But so is the mill wheel.
This is an exceptional treat to see.
Thanks for sharing, Indrani – nice job!
Have a Happy Weekend!
Peace 🙂
Massive with an old-world charm! Nice. 🙂
Beautiful structure. That wheel reminded me of the old water mills in Europe.
The thought and execution carried on so many years ago is magnificent!
I wonder what that giant wheel used for. Marvelous bridge and this remind me Kallanai aka Grand Anicut near Tiruchi, across Kaveri River.
Such a wonderful place! Great pictures 🙂
You said, a century old !! amazing.
I think we missed this bridge. Thanks for taking me to Spain again. 🙂
It is an amazing old bridge, a beautiful structure. Great shots, enjoy your weekend!
Awesome captures Indrani Ji !!
Interesting! I started reading many more things about the bridge after reading this one. Thanks for sharing
Beautiful Roman artifacts, thanks for trip Indrani.
You have seen some really wonderful places. Thank you for sharing another great one with us.
hi!
I was really surprised to know that this bridge existed since 1st BC…wonderful place.
Those are really good clicks 🙂
So old and so beautiful!
Great place…and wonderfully captured too!
Magnificent imposing structures!
Awesome captures Indrani 🙂
The Romans are famous for Aqueduct Constructions.. Interesting Post!
that is nice to see 🙂
beautiful it is..I would love to visit this
The bridge is impressive.
whoa… what a place!!
Moorish architectural style has a distinctive pattern. Nice pictures Indrani.
Beautiful – what a history in that part of the world! By the way, I received an advertising site redirect accessing your blog away from your page, probably from one of your widgets (I've read that sitemeter does this sometimes).
Super intersting! I am curious to know which one are 14th and 15th ones which have remain unchanged…
Ah, thanks again for the wonderful memories of my years in Spain, Indrani!! Beautiful captures as always!! Hope you have a lovely weekend!!
That's amazing!
Amazing, Nice captures.