Nysa Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Nysa Bridge is a late imperial
Roman bridge
over the Cakircak stream in Nysa
(modern Sultanhisar
), in the ancient region of Caria
, Turkey
. The 100 m (328 ft) long substructure was the second largest of its kind in antiquity
, after the Pergamon Bridge
.
geographer Strabo
(63 BC–AD 21), who lived in Nysa, mentioned a secret water conduit in the town, but it remains unclear whether he meant the existing tunnel-like bridge. An inscription at the northern wall of the tube, close to a bend after 25 m (82 ft), indicates a construction date in late imperial times. It reads "Work of Praülos until this point".
which lay close to the stream. It spanned the Cakircak stream on a length of some 100 m (328 ft), giving the structure the appearance of a tube or a tunnel, although it was constructed entirely above ground. It consists of a single, 5.7 m (19 ft) wide vault
with its uphill mouth widening to 7 m (23 ft). The overall height of its semi-circular arch
is 5.9 m (19 ft), featuring a rise of 2.95 m (10 ft). The vault is made of rubble stone laid in mortar
, resting on a substructure of ashlar
stone blocks of varying size (0.3–0.9 x 1.0–1.4 m). Originally featuring a continuous vaulting, it has today collapsed between m 75 and 85, and again at the downhill exit. The remaining, isolated structure in between has often been incorrectly referred to as a bridge of its own. The Nysa Bridge was the second largest bridge substruction of its kind in antiquity
, only surpassed by the nearby Bridge at Pergamon
. By comparison, the width of normal, free standing Roman bridges did not exceed 10 m (33 ft).
In its further course, the Cakircak also ran through the city stadion
, so that naumachia
could be given. There are remains of two other ancient bridges both up- and downstream.
of the Nysa Bridge in case of flood
s has been the subject of hydraulic
and hydrological
research. The gradient of the tunnel was calculated as 3.3% with a maximum discharge capacity of 290 m³/s. Exceeding this limit puts the bridge under internal pressure and damages the structure in the process. Considering that the Cakircak is 6 km (3.7 mi) long, with a median
gradient of 19% and a drainage basin
of 4 km² (1.5 sq mi), the following median intervals were calculated, depending on the method employed:
7,500 years (Günerman method)
The study came to the conclusion that statistically every 13,500 years, a value which has been referred to as the "arithmetic mean
", floods are to be expected which would exceed the capacity of the bridge.
History of the Roman Empire
The broader history of the Roman Empire extends through 16 centuries and includes several stages in the evolution of the Roman state. It encompasses the period of the ancient Roman Empire, the period in which it was divided into western and eastern halves, and the history of the Eastern Roman or...
Roman bridge
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 Cakircak stream in Nysa
Nysa, Anatolia
Nysa was an ancient city of Caria in Anatolia, whose remnants are now in the Sultanhisar district of Aydın Province of Turkey, east of the Ionian city of Ephesus....
(modern Sultanhisar
Sultanhisar
Sultanhisar is a town and a small district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of Turkey, 30 km east of the city of Aydın on the road to Denizli.- History :...
), in the ancient region of Caria
Caria
Caria was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined the Carian population in forming Greek-dominated states there...
, 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 100 m (328 ft) long substructure was the second largest of its kind in antiquity
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
, after the Pergamon Bridge
Pergamon Bridge
The Pergamon Bridge is a Roman substruction bridge over the Selinus river in the ancient city of Pergamon , modern-day Turkey...
.
Dating
The GreekAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
geographer Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
(63 BC–AD 21), who lived in Nysa, mentioned a secret water conduit in the town, but it remains unclear whether he meant the existing tunnel-like bridge. An inscription at the northern wall of the tube, close to a bend after 25 m (82 ft), indicates a construction date in late imperial times. It reads "Work of Praülos until this point".
Construction
The Nysa Bridge served as a substructure for the area in front of the city theatreTheater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
which lay close to the stream. It spanned the Cakircak stream on a length of some 100 m (328 ft), giving the structure the appearance of a tube or a tunnel, although it was constructed entirely above ground. It consists of a single, 5.7 m (19 ft) wide vault
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
with its uphill mouth widening to 7 m (23 ft). The overall height of its semi-circular arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
is 5.9 m (19 ft), featuring a rise of 2.95 m (10 ft). The vault is made of rubble stone laid in mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
, resting on a substructure of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone blocks of varying size (0.3–0.9 x 1.0–1.4 m). Originally featuring a continuous vaulting, it has today collapsed between m 75 and 85, and again at the downhill exit. The remaining, isolated structure in between has often been incorrectly referred to as a bridge of its own. The Nysa Bridge was the second largest bridge substruction of its kind in antiquity
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
, only surpassed by the nearby Bridge at Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
. By comparison, the width of normal, free standing Roman bridges did not exceed 10 m (33 ft).
In its further course, the Cakircak also ran through the city stadion
Stadion
Stadion or stade , was an ancient running event, part of the Olympic Games and the other Panhellenic Games. It was one of the five major Pentathlon events. It was the premier event of the gymnikos agon...
, so that naumachia
Naumachia
The naumachia in the Ancient Roman world referred to both the re-enactment of naval battles and the basin in which this took place....
could be given. There are remains of two other ancient bridges both up- and downstream.
Discharge capacity
The capacity limitDischarge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of the Nysa Bridge in case of flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s has been the subject of hydraulic
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
and hydrological
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
research. The gradient of the tunnel was calculated as 3.3% with a maximum discharge capacity of 290 m³/s. Exceeding this limit puts the bridge under internal pressure and damages the structure in the process. Considering that the Cakircak is 6 km (3.7 mi) long, with a median
Median
In probability theory and statistics, a median is described as the numerical value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to...
gradient of 19% and a drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 4 km² (1.5 sq mi), the following median intervals were calculated, depending on the method employed:
7,500 years (Günerman method)
- 10,500 years (D.S.I. method)
- 13,000 years (Mockus method)
- 68,000 years (Snyder method)
The study came to the conclusion that statistically every 13,500 years, a value which has been referred to as the "arithmetic mean
Arithmetic mean
In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean, often referred to as simply the mean or average when the context is clear, is a method to derive the central tendency of a sample space...
", floods are to be expected which would exceed the capacity of the bridge.