Bridges of Turkey

A postcard from Turkey with the Europa 2018 Stamp. 

Uzunköpru Bridge 

The Uzunköprü Bridge or Long Bridge is a 15th-century Ottoman bridge, which gave its name to the town of Uzunköprü. The bridge runs across the Ergene river. 

Total length	1,392 m (4,567 ft)
Width	6.80 m (22.3 ft)
No. of spans	174

The bridge was built between 1426 and 1443 by head architect Muslihiddin on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Murad II. When it was first completed, the structure was the longest bridge in the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey, a title which it held for 530 years until 1973, when it was surpassed by the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. However, Uzunköprü is still the longest stone bridge in Turkey.

The bridge was added in 2015 to the UNESCOWorld Heritage site Tentative List in the Cultural category.

Date of issue : May 9, 2018

Thanks Helen for the FOTW Turkey postcard and the lovely stamp ! ( I just read that Turkey won the best Europa 2018 Stamp )