The Stone Bridge ( ; ; ) is a bridge across the
Vardar River in
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
, the capital of
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
, built by
Sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
Mehmed the Conqueror
Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481.
In Mehmed II's first reign, ...
.
The bridge is considered a symbol of Skopje and is the main element of the
coat of arms of the city, which in turn is incorporated in the
city's flag. It is located in
Centar Municipality and it connects
Macedonia Square to the
Old Bazaar.
Architecture
The Stone Bridge is built of solid stone blocks and is supported by firm columns that are connected with 12 semicircular arcs. The bridge is long and wide. The guardhouse has recently been reconstructed.
History
The current Stone Bridge was built on Roman foundations under the patronage of Sultan
Mehmed II
Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481.
In Mehmed II's first reign, ...
the Conqueror between 1451 and 1469. Most of the Stone Bridge originates from the Ottoman period
and throughout the centuries, the Stone Bridge was often damaged and then repaired. There is historical evidence that it once suffered during the
great earthquake of 1555 which heavily damaged or destroyed four pillars. Renovations were carried out the same year. Some executions have also taken place on this bridge, such as the execution of
Karposh in 1689.
Serbia acquired new territory in Macedonia after the
Second Balkan War. Serbian army units, in collaboration with informal groups, began to arbitrarily destroy Ottoman buildings. To prevent further destruction, British consuls would persuade Serbian military commanders that certain constructions dated back to
Stefan Dusan's empire. The Skopje Bridge is one such example.
[Clark, Christopher (2012). The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914, pg.44]
By the German
retreat from the city in November 1944, explosives were placed on the bridge by Nazis. Upon a request from city notables, the Germans gave up at the last minute and the bridge was saved from destruction. The last reconstruction of the bridge began in 1994. Over seven years during the Stone Bridge refurbishment of the 1990s, people were not allowed to cross the structure and for many craftsmen from the nearby Old Bazaar it resulted in negative economic effects.
The
watchtower shaped like a
mihrab was reconstructed in 2008.
Two parts of Skopje that have symbolised its urban contrasts of "Ottoman" or "modern", the "historic" or "socialist", "Albanian" or "Macedonian" are split by the river Vardar and linked by the Stone Bridge.
In the twenty first century, members of the majority and minority groups of the capital city view the stone bridge as representing the split between two parts of Skopje.
Gallery
File:Skopski Kameni Most stara.jpg, Stone Bridge and Macedonia Square in the early 1920s
File:Skopje old tykish bridge on Vardar river in 1909.jpg, Stone Bridge in 1909
File:Skopje-kamen-most.jpg, Inscription on the bridge
File:Stonebridgeskopje.JPG, Stone Bridge at night
File:Karposh memory table Skopje.JPG, Memorial plaque on the site of Karposh's execution
Puente de Piedra, Skopie, Macedonia, 2014-04-17, DD 69.JPG, View from the top
Puente de Piedra, Skopie, Macedonia, 2014-04-16, DD 28.JPG, Lateral view
Kameni most.jpg, Stone Bridge, photo from the 1950s
Pogled kon Kamen most i Plostadot.tif, A view of Stone Bridge and the Square
See also
*
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is an architectural style or tradition that developed under the Ottoman Empire over a long period, undergoing some significant changes during its history. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century an ...
References
{{Skopje
Bridges completed in the 15th century
Buildings and structures completed in 1469
Transport infrastructure completed in the 1460s
Bridges in Skopje
Pedestrian bridges in North Macedonia
Ottoman bridges in North Macedonia
Stone arch bridges
Old Bazaar, Skopje