Nasrullah Bridge

Nasrullah Bridge, also known locally as the Hunchback Bridge, (Turkish: Nasrullah Köprüsü or Kambur Köprü) is a 16th-century stone arch bridge in Kastamonu, Turkey.

Nasrullah Bridge Nasrullah Köprüsü
Nasrullah Bridge in Kastamonu, Turkey
Coordinates	41.37750°N 33.77639°E
Crosses	Karaçomak Creek
Locale	Kastamonu, Turkey
Other name(s)	"Hunchback Bridge" (Turkish: Kambur Köprü)
Named for	Kadı Nasrullah
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Material	Stone
Total length	40 m (130 ft) (originally)
Width	4 m (13 ft)
Piers in water	1
History
Construction end	1501
Statistics
Daily traffic	Pedestrian
Location

The bridge is located in the city center over Karaçomak Creek, a tributary of Gökırmak, connecting western and eastern parts of the city.[1] Nasrullah Mosque is to the west and the Kastamonu Governor's Office is to the east. It was endowed as a waqf in 1501 by Kadı Nasrullah, who was a judge in the Ottoman Empire.[1]

The ashlar-constructed bridge had originally five arches. It was 40 m (130 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) wide. The main arch span was 12.0 m (39.4 ft) and the others 8.5 m (28 ft) in length.[1] It underwent three major reparations, the last two times in 1709 and in 1946. During the last reparation, a staircase was added to each end of the bridge when the west-most one arch and the east-most two arches were ripped off. Today, the bridge has two arches only.[1] The two original stone alms pots and the curbstones on the bridge are still preserved.[2] Due to its unusual appearance, it is dubbed by the citizens the Hunchback Bridge (Turkish: Kambur Köprü).[2]

The Minister of Forestry Veysel Eroğlu announced in 2016 that the bridge will be reconstructed to its original form.[3]

References

1. "Kambur Köprü" (in Turkish). Neredekal. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
2. Boyacıoğlu, Metin (2015-12-04). "Bu köprü nerede?". Kastamonu Gazetesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2016-07-18.
3. ""Tarihi eser gibi bir köprü yapalım"". Gündem (in Turkish). 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-07-18.