Varda Köprüsü

Varda Viaduct is a stone-arched railway viaduct spanning a deep valley in the Taurus Mountains near the Hacıkırı (Kıralan) neighbourhood of Karaisalı district. Local people call it Koca Köprü, the Big Bridge; because it was built by Germans it is also known as the German Bridge. The Kültür Envanteri database notes that the structure is also called the Karaisalı Bridge and the Gavurdere Viaduct. It lies about 64 kilometres from Adana by road via Karaisalı, and 63 kilometres from Adana station by rail. The bridge is part of the railway project that aimed to connect Istanbul with Baghdad and the Hejaz. On the line, built by German companies under agreements between the Ottoman State and Germany, the most difficult section was the stretch crossing the Taurus Mountains between Konya and Adana. On this steep route between Pozantı, Belemedik and Hacıkırı, many tunnels and bridges had to be built. In the project financed by Deutsche Bank, construction of the viaduct was awarded to the Philipp Holzmann company. According to English Wikipedia, the design and engineering work was carried out by the German engineer Winkler and the Greek Ottoman engineer Nicholas Mavrogordato; after Winkler's death the post of chief engineer passed to Mavrogordato. The construction dates are given slightly differently in the sources. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that the bridge was built between 1907 and 1912, while Kültür Envanteri states that construction began in 1905 and the structure was completed in 1912. English Wikipedia reports that the main works were finished in 1907 and that the line over the viaduct entered service in 1916. Materials such as steel and cement were brought by sea to Mersin and from there carried by camel via Tarsus to the site. Before work on the main bridge began, a temporary narrow-gauge viaduct was built to carry material to the other side of the valley, and the piers of this auxiliary bridge still stand today. The bridge is about 172 metres long, and its height above the valley floor is given in Turkish sources as 99 metres. It is a masonry bridge resting on four main piers; the outer faces of the piers are built of cut stone. English Wikipedia counts eleven arches in total; each of the three large central arches spans 30 metres, and smaller relieving arches sit at the top of the piers. The arches were built on temporary steel falsework placed on top of the piers. There are staircases inside the piers for maintenance. The most interesting feature of the bridge is that it is not straight but curved; the line follows a curve with a radius of 1,200 metres. According to Kültür Envanteri, the bridge made it possible to abandon the old U-shaped route, which was risky for trains. According to Ministry sources, 21 workers and one German engineer lost their lives for various reasons during the construction, which stretched over five years. Today the bridge is still part of a working railway line and should be seen together with the nature around it. According to the municipality's guide, the 15-kilometre section between Belemedik and Hacıkırı stations contains 12 tunnels with a total length of 12,500 metres. Because the tunnels were carved into hard rock, they have no lining on their vaults. Kapıkaya Canyon, cut by the Çakıt Stream that flows beneath the bridge, lies about 2 kilometres from the bridge. Of the canyon's total length of 20 kilometres, 7.25 kilometres has been laid out as a walking trail, and there is a waterfall at the Bahçecik spot on the route. The bridge has been used as a filming location in various Turkish and foreign productions, among them an international spy film. You see the bridge best from the viewpoints on the edge of the valley and from the northern slope; from this angle the curving deck and the depth of the arches read clearly. In the morning and late afternoon, side light brings out the texture of the stonework. Because the bridge is on an active railway line, do not walk on the tracks or inside the tunnels; take your photographs from safe ground. Spring and autumn are the best seasons both for the canyon walk and for photography. According to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the bridge can be reached by vehicles going from the city centre to Karaisalı; to go down into the valley and visit the viewpoints, travelling in your own car is more comfortable.