Last updated on .
The Irgandı Bridge (Irgandı Köprüsü) is a historic bridge that spans Gökdere Creek in Bursa, Turkey. It connects the historic city center with the Yeşil neighborhood.
History
The Irgandı Bridge was built in 1442 by Müslihiddin, a wealthy Ottoman merchant. The architect was probably Mimar Timurtaş. Ottoman authorities would monitor movement between the two neighborhoods by closing the bridge to traffic at night.
During the Turkish War of Independence, the bridge was bombed by the retreating Greek army in 1922. It was reconstructed in 1949. The bridge has a single arch that spans 16 meters (52 feet), and is 11 meters (36 feet) wide.
Shops
The Irgandı Bridge is the only bridge in Turkey with buildings and shops on top. On both sides of the bridge, you can find craft and souvenir shops as well as cafés serving Turkish specialties. The original design had 30 shops.
Boyacıkulluğu Bridge
A bit further downstream is another Ottoman bridge. The Boyacıkulluğu Bridge (Boyacıkulluğu Köprüsü) was built in 1530 by Boyacıkulu Hoca Sinan, an Ottoman merchant. It was repaired in 1844 and two more arches were added in 1997.
