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The Malabadi Bridge (Malabadi Köprüsü) is an impressive historic bridge near the town of Silvan, Turkey. We stopped to see it while driving from Diyarbakır to Van.
History of the Malabadi Bridge
The Malabadi Bridge was built by the Artuqids between 1146 and 1154. It was commissioned by Husam al-Din Timurtash (c. 1105-1154), the Emir of Mardin. According to historical Ibn al-Azraq al-Farīqī (c. 1116-c. 1176), it replaced an older bridge built in 668 that had collapsed in 1144.
The Malabadi Bridge was restored at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the only bridge in the area until the 1950s, when a modern bridge was built nearby.
The bridge is named for Badh ibn Dustak (d. 991), or simply Baḍ. He was a Kurdish tribal leader and the founder of the Marwanid emirate. Malabadi translates to House of Bad in Kurdish.
Features of the Bridge
The Malabadi Bridge has the longest span of any stone arch bridge in the world. The main arch spans 40.86 meters over the Batman River. The total length is 281.67 meters. It’s 7.15 meters wide and 24.5 meters high.
The bridge was built using ashlars and rubble stones. There are a total of five arches with the main arch in the middle. There were toll gates on either side, and travelers had to pay a toll to cross.
Steps on both sides of the main span lead down to chambers. They feature vaulted ceilings made of brick as well as windows overlooking the Batman River. The chambers were built to relieve pressure on the foundation and also housed travelers, especially during the winter. If you visit and decide to walk into the chambers, be aware that people have been using them as toilets so the stench is quite pungent.
A circular flood splitter on the pier of the main arch on the downstream side is topped with spiral columns and a relief depicting a lion as well as a human figure holding the sun. On the upstream side, the flood splitters are triangular in shape. One of them is topped with a relief depicting two human figures facing each other.
Around the Bridge
South of the bridge is a small park with a viewing platform along the Batman River. It’s the best place to admire the entire span. Next to the park is the Malabadi Café, where you can grab a drink or snack.
North of the bridge, it’s possible to see the Batman Dam. It was built between 1986 and 1999 to provide electricity and irrigation. The dam is 74 meters (243 feet) high and 510 meters (1,673 feet) wide. Behind it is a reservoir covering 49 square kilometers (19 square miles).
