Khaju Bridge, Iran

For more than 300 years, the beautiful Chadschu Bridge over the Zayandeh River has been one of the landmarks of Isfahan. The wonderful bridge has the status of outstanding architectural landmark and is one of the oldest and most beautiful bridges in the east. The Chadschu Bridge was built in 1650. At that time, the city of Isfahan flourished on the Great Silk Road. The first bridge over the Zayandeh River was built much earlier than the middle 17th century. The new bridge was built by order of Shah Abbas II.

The new four-storey bridge, which contains 23 arches, has been built to the shortest deadlines. The length of the Chadschu bridge forms 105 meters, and the width - 14 meters. Originally the bridge served not only for crossing the river. The galleries of their ground floor were intended for the rest of the royal family. Under the bridge were the locks, which were used to regulate the water level in the river and use it for irrigation.

At present, the bridge structure consists of more than 50 pavilions decorated with fine mosaics and drawings. In the course of existence, the bridge did not lose the original functions. It is actively used both for river crossing and as a dam. On the banks of the Zayandeh River are laid the magnificent gardens, the irrigation without a dam would be simply impossible. For the tourists, the Chadschu Bridge serves as an ideal place for walks and recreation, in whose spacious galleries one enjoys the silence and grazes the old works of art. Next - Octavio Frias de Oliveira