Dating
The dating of the bridge is related to the dating of the main fortress (Zından Kalesi) of ancient Amastris and of the fortress on the island of Boz Tepe. As a fortified bridge, it connected the two fortresses. Until the end of 1980s, they were presumed to be Genoese, however, detailed investigations by James Crow and Stephen Hill have shown that the fortification walls were constructed by the Byzantines using extant Hellenistic fundaments. They dated the initial structural phase to the 7th century, and the barbican projecting at Boz Tepe gate (Karanlƒ±k Kapƒ±) to the early 8th century. Therefore, the bridge can be dated to the 7th or early 8th centuries.
