• Nea Gephyra over Eurotas

  • Back
August 12, 2022 by   

Document

Thumbnail

Title

Nea Gephyra over Eurotas

Location

37.08896, 22.43013

Dating

1027; unclear whether ex novo or the repair of an earlier structure.

Measurements

L: ca. 88 m; W: 3.75 m

Abutments, Piers, Arches

The bridge had three arches; the central one had a span of 29 m and the flanking ones of 13.78 m. Both abutments were 11.50 m long. The piers were supplied with pointed breakwaters on the upstream side.

Adjacent Structures: The inscription mentions a church on the northern river bank, whose main purpose was to protect the bridge. Both structures were part of a now lost monastery.

Material and Technique

The piers were constructed of mortared riverstones and were faced with ashlars of tuff. Blouet‘s drawing of the arch shows that it was built with welldressed voussoirs. The spandrels were faced with bricks and ashlars of different sizes.

Donors

Monk Nicodemus

Inscription

The inscription which is part of a monastic foundation charter was engraved on a now lost column found in 1730 in situ.

Current Condition

Only the overgrown remains of two piers are still preserved in situ. Early travelers registered traces of repairs from different periods.

Metadata created by

Galina Fingarova

Image by

Galina Fingarova

Continue browsing