Penkalas Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Penkalas Bridge is a Roman bridge
over the Penkalas (today Kocaçay), a small tributary of the Rhyndakos (Adırnas Çayı), in Aezani, Asia Minor
(Çavdarhisar
in present-day Turkey
).
The 2nd century AD structure was once one of four ancient bridges in Aezani and is assumed to have been the most important crossing-point due to its central location in the vicinity of the Zeus
temple and the direct access it provided to the Roman road
to Cotyaeum (Kütahya
). According to reports by European travellers, the ancient parapet remained in use as late as 1829, having been replaced today by an unsightly iron railing.
Around 290 m upstream, another well-preserved, almost identical five-arched Roman bridge leads across the Penkalas.
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
over the Penkalas (today Kocaçay), a small tributary of the Rhyndakos (Adırnas Çayı), in Aezani, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
(Çavdarhisar
Çavdarhisar
Çavdarhisar is a town and district of Kütahya Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 13,538 of which 4,687 live in the town of Çavdarhisar. The local Kocaçay stream is still crossed by the Roman Penkalas Bridge.-External links:*...
in present-day Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
).
The 2nd century AD structure was once one of four ancient bridges in Aezani and is assumed to have been the most important crossing-point due to its central location in the vicinity of the Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
temple and the direct access it provided to the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
to Cotyaeum (Kütahya
Kütahya
Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 212,444 inhabitants , lying on the Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is the capital of Kütahya Province, inhabited by some 517 804 people...
). According to reports by European travellers, the ancient parapet remained in use as late as 1829, having been replaced today by an unsightly iron railing.
Around 290 m upstream, another well-preserved, almost identical five-arched Roman bridge leads across the Penkalas.
External links
- Aezani and the Penkalas Bridge at Romeartlover