Devil's Bridge
Devil's Bridge, Turkish: Shaitan Kyupria (s) is a bridge on the Arda River in the municipality of Ardino, District of Kardzhali.
Located in a picturesque gorge about 10 kilometers northwest of the town of Ardino, near the village Grandfathers and not far from the village of Nasturtium.
The bridge is situated 420 meters above sea level in the gorge flanked on both sides by steep slopes reaching up to 800 meters altitude. Its length is 56 meters in width - 3.5 meters, three arches, and the arches of the lateral ribs are made with semicircular arches open for drainage. The height of the central arch is 11,5 - 12 meters, and the edge is preserved stone parapet height 12 cm.
The bridge was built at the beginning of the 16th century by order of Sultan Selim I as part of a road connecting the Upper Thracian Lowland with Aegean Sea and Aegean Sea. In the place of today's bridge, there was once a Roman bridge, part of the important ancient Via Via Ignatcia, connecting the Aegean Sea and Thrace through the Makaza pass. By order of Sultan Selim I, the bridge was restored to continue the commercial connections between the two geographic regions. It was known as Shaytan Kyupria.
On 24 February 1984 the bridge was declared a cultural monument. A tourist infrastructure for recreation and picnic is built near the bridge. After carrying out restoration work in 2013, the road from Ardino to Devil's Bridge is asphalted.
