Bridges in Diyarbakir

Since its existence, human being created important works in the name of architectural history so as to satisfy the needs. The city textures started to be created by houses with housing needs, the city walls and fortresses with defense needs. All these developments added dynamism and the increasing commercial developments gave rise to the formation of trade routes. Commercial road networks made transport mandatory and bridges were built to overcome the problems caused by topography. In antiquity, tree branches and ivy were used to overcome the difficult natural circumstances such as water, valley, pothole and later on with the usage of stone as building material, developed architecture, engineering information lead the construction of massive and more durable bridges.That Diyarbakır, one of the most important city in South East, hosted many civilizations and the oldest residental areas in the World in the light of archeological remains found shows that it protected its importance since ancient times. Being on the main roads connecting important regions, has acquired strategic importance throughout the history of Diyarbakır. Therefore, it maintained its important culture and commercial center position in each period. Its strategic importance, trade routes and advanced river network brought the construction of many bridges with themselves.In this study, it is aimed to make determinations on some topics such as which period the Diyarbakır Bridges which were constructed in different times belong to, their architectural descriptions, construction, material and technical features, ornamental characteristics, their repairment, their positions in historical process and the development of bridge construction in different eras.Key Words:1.Diyarbakır2.Bridge3.History of Architecture4.Transportation Architecture5.Commercial Roads