Ii. Bayezid Köprüsü

It is a bridge made of large cut stones over the Sakarya River, on the section connecting Ali Fuat Paşa Township to Geyve District. Its inscription states, “This bridge was commissioned in H. 901 (A.D. 1495) by II. Bayazıd, the son of Fatih, who opened an era in history.”

On the Ali Fuat Paşa side of the bridge, there are nine small arches. Directly beneath the middle of the bridge there is a large pier in the form of a sarcophagus, with two large arches on its right side and one large arch on the other side of the pier. Of the piers of the arched cut-stone bridge, designed by Fakir Abdullah, the architect and engineer of Second Bayezıt, on fourteen piers, four are over the Sakarya River. The bridge, which stands on the historic route roads, is 150 meters long, 5,60 meters wide, and the width of the railings is 35 centimeters each. Thus, the bridge reaches 6,30 meters from outer edge to outer edge. The height of the railings is 1,05 meters. Of the bridge, which has fourteen spans in total, two of its arches were later destroyed and repaired with iron material. The other three pointed arches remain. The nine round arches are on the land side and are small in size. The piers have triangular cutwaters on the upstream side and pentagonal cutwaters on the downstream side. Today, only one discharge opening exists.

The main inscription is on the rear facade of the mihrab on the Geyve side of the bridge. Another significance of the Geyve II. Bayezid Bridge date pavilion is the hatayi-style decoration in the frame of the inscription giving the year 1495/96 (Hijri 901). The preferences and tendencies in Turkish decorative art at a specific date at the end of the XV. century are displayed in this work. In the 0,10 meter wide frame band, the decoration rendered with one curling branch each, with rumi and peony ornamentation, continues a tradition from the first half of the XV. century with peony ornamentation, while reflecting the decorative understanding of the period in its overall appearance. In the Republican period as well, by placing a steel framework under the main bridge, the bridge was restored twice in previous years. Again, the bridge ruins belonging to the Byzantine Period, in the islet on the northern side of the II. Bayezıd Bridge, the ruined bridge remains still continue to exist today.

Source: Official website of Sakarya Governorship

Places to Visit in Sakarya Address: [Geyve – Ali Fuat Paşa]