Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad World Heritage Site

Official name

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad | UNESCO

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

Republika Srpska, Sarajevo Macro Region
43.7814° Lat, 19.2880° Lon | Map

Code

1260

Time Zone

Europe/Sarajevo (CET, +0100)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2007. 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.