The Kharaba Bridge is a Roman bridge in the village of Kharaba in the fertile Hauran region of Syria, close to the city of Bosra (ancient Bostra).
Kharaba Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°33′04″N 36°26′00″E / 32.551093°N 36.433285°E |
| Crosses | Wadi Zeidi |
| Locale | Close to Bosra, Syria |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Basalt blocks |
| Width | 4.52 m |
| Longest span | 3.8 m |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| Location | |
 | |
The bridge crosses the Wadi Zeidi, a tributary of the Yarmuk, 3.5 km northwest of Bosra.[1] It has three semi-circular arches, each 3.8 m clear, that rest on 2.4 m wide piers with a height of 2.5 m to the springing level.[1] The bridge width is 4.52 m.[2] At the eastern side exists a small squarish floodway which is supported by a column with capital.[3] The vaults and the covering are predominantly built with black greenish basalt ashlar; overall, the ancient structure is still in a fairly good condition.[3]
There are at least two more Roman bridges crossing the Wadi Zeidi: the Gemarrin Bridge and one at At-Tayyibeh.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b O’Connor 1993, p. 131
- ^ Kissel & Stoll 2000, p. 115
- ^ a b Kissel & Stoll 2000, p. 117, Fig. 12
- ^ Kissel & Stoll 2000, p. 110, Fig. 1b
Sources
edit- Kissel, Theodor; Stoll, Oliver (2000), "Die Brücke bei Nimreh. Ein Zeugnis römischer Verkehrspolitik im Hauran, Syrien", Antike Welt, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 109–125
- O’Connor, Colin (1993), Roman Bridges, Cambridge University Press, p. 131, ISBN 0-521-39326-4