Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad
The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge of Višegrad across
the Drina River in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina was built at the
end of the 16th century by the court architect Mimar Koca Sinan on the
orders of Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović. Characteristic of the
apogee of Ottoman monumental architecture and civil engineering, the
bridge has 11 masonry arches with spans of 11 m to 15 m, and an access
ramp at right angles with four arches on the left bank of the river. The
179.5 m long bridge is a representative masterpiece of Sinan, one of
the greatest architects and engineers of the classical Ottoman period
and a contemporary of the Italian Renaissance, with which his work may
be compared. The unique elegance of proportion and monumental nobility
of the whole site bear witness to the greatness of this style of
architecture.
