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Hosap KöprüsüGüzelsu, Türkiye
Hosap, which had an important role in the past as a local administrative center in the Van province, is now a small village on the Van-Hakkari road known primarily for its historic castle and bridge. The Kurdish name (Hosap) and the administrative Turkish name (Güzelsu) of the village both translate as "beautiful water," referring to the river on whose banks the town was founded.
The thirty-two meter long bridge spans the Hosap River, providing access to the historic castle above. Its two foundation plaques from 1671 (1082 A.H.) are written in a mixture of Turkish, Persian and Arabic and honor of the bridge's builder, Zeynel Bey, who was the head of the local Mahmudi tribe governing Hosap under Ottoman rule.
The roadway, which is level with the riverbank, is six and a half meters wide and five meters above the river. It is carried on two small and one large archway that rest on two islands. The bridge is made entirely of cut white stone, while its downstream (west) façade is adorned with alternating rows of black and white stones. The foundation plaques, which are placed between the arches on this elevation, are framed with carved muqarnas and floral motifs and protected with stone eaves. The eroding sections of the islands were recently reinforced with concrete.
Sources:
Çulpan, Cevdet. Türk tas köprüleri: Ortaçagdan Osmanli Devri sonuna kadar, 175-176. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu, 1975.
Sinclair, T. A. Eastern Turkey: an architectural and archaeological survey, 212-214. London: Pindar Press, 1989.
Uluçam, Abdüsselâm. Ortaçag Sonrasinda Van Gölü ve Çevresi Mimarligi, 233-235. Ankara: T.C. Kültür Bakanligi, 2002.
Website of Gürpinar District. "Gürpinar Ile Ilgili Bilgiler: Tarihi Yapi." Accessed March, 2006; inaccessible October 3, 2010. http://www.gurpinar.gov.tr/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3
The thirty-two meter long bridge spans the Hosap River, providing access to the historic castle above. Its two foundation plaques from 1671 (1082 A.H.) are written in a mixture of Turkish, Persian and Arabic and honor of the bridge's builder, Zeynel Bey, who was the head of the local Mahmudi tribe governing Hosap under Ottoman rule.
The roadway, which is level with the riverbank, is six and a half meters wide and five meters above the river. It is carried on two small and one large archway that rest on two islands. The bridge is made entirely of cut white stone, while its downstream (west) façade is adorned with alternating rows of black and white stones. The foundation plaques, which are placed between the arches on this elevation, are framed with carved muqarnas and floral motifs and protected with stone eaves. The eroding sections of the islands were recently reinforced with concrete.
Sources:
Çulpan, Cevdet. Türk tas köprüleri: Ortaçagdan Osmanli Devri sonuna kadar, 175-176. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu, 1975.
Sinclair, T. A. Eastern Turkey: an architectural and archaeological survey, 212-214. London: Pindar Press, 1989.
Uluçam, Abdüsselâm. Ortaçag Sonrasinda Van Gölü ve Çevresi Mimarligi, 233-235. Ankara: T.C. Kültür Bakanligi, 2002.
Website of Gürpinar District. "Gürpinar Ile Ilgili Bilgiler: Tarihi Yapi." Accessed March, 2006; inaccessible October 3, 2010. http://www.gurpinar.gov.tr/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3
Location
58 km from Van on the Hakkari Road, Güzelsu, Türkiye
Events
1671/1082 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Hosap Bridge
Variant
Evliya Bey Köprüsü
Variant
Site Types
Hosap KöprüsüGüzelsu, Türkiye
Hosap, which had an important role in the past as a local administrative center in the Van province, is now a small village on the Van-Hakkari road known primarily for its historic castle and bridge. The Kurdish name (Hosap) and the administrative Turkish name (Güzelsu) of the village both translate as "beautiful water," referring to the river on whose banks the town was founded.
The thirty-two meter long bridge spans the Hosap River, providing access to the historic castle above. Its two foundation plaques from 1671 (1082 A.H.) are written in a mixture of Turkish, Persian and Arabic and honor of the bridge's builder, Zeynel Bey, who was the head of the local Mahmudi tribe governing Hosap under Ottoman rule.
The roadway, which is level with the riverbank, is six and a half meters wide and five meters above the river. It is carried on two small and one large archway that rest on two islands. The bridge is made entirely of cut white stone, while its downstream (west) façade is adorned with alternating rows of black and white stones. The foundation plaques, which are placed between the arches on this elevation, are framed with carved muqarnas and floral motifs and protected with stone eaves. The eroding sections of the islands were recently reinforced with concrete.
Sources:
Çulpan, Cevdet. Türk tas köprüleri: Ortaçagdan Osmanli Devri sonuna kadar, 175-176. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu, 1975.
Sinclair, T. A. Eastern Turkey: an architectural and archaeological survey, 212-214. London: Pindar Press, 1989.
Uluçam, Abdüsselâm. Ortaçag Sonrasinda Van Gölü ve Çevresi Mimarligi, 233-235. Ankara: T.C. Kültür Bakanligi, 2002.
Website of Gürpinar District. "Gürpinar Ile Ilgili Bilgiler: Tarihi Yapi." Accessed March, 2006; inaccessible October 3, 2010. http://www.gurpinar.gov.tr/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3
The thirty-two meter long bridge spans the Hosap River, providing access to the historic castle above. Its two foundation plaques from 1671 (1082 A.H.) are written in a mixture of Turkish, Persian and Arabic and honor of the bridge's builder, Zeynel Bey, who was the head of the local Mahmudi tribe governing Hosap under Ottoman rule.
The roadway, which is level with the riverbank, is six and a half meters wide and five meters above the river. It is carried on two small and one large archway that rest on two islands. The bridge is made entirely of cut white stone, while its downstream (west) façade is adorned with alternating rows of black and white stones. The foundation plaques, which are placed between the arches on this elevation, are framed with carved muqarnas and floral motifs and protected with stone eaves. The eroding sections of the islands were recently reinforced with concrete.
Sources:
Çulpan, Cevdet. Türk tas köprüleri: Ortaçagdan Osmanli Devri sonuna kadar, 175-176. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu, 1975.
Sinclair, T. A. Eastern Turkey: an architectural and archaeological survey, 212-214. London: Pindar Press, 1989.
Uluçam, Abdüsselâm. Ortaçag Sonrasinda Van Gölü ve Çevresi Mimarligi, 233-235. Ankara: T.C. Kültür Bakanligi, 2002.
Website of Gürpinar District. "Gürpinar Ile Ilgili Bilgiler: Tarihi Yapi." Accessed March, 2006; inaccessible October 3, 2010. http://www.gurpinar.gov.tr/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3
Location
58 km from Van on the Hakkari Road, Güzelsu, Türkiye
Images & Videos
Events
1671/1082 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Hosap Bridge
Variant
Evliya Bey Köprüsü
Variant