The “Praven kamurj” bridge

The “Praven kamurj” bridge

Location

The monument is located on the Trtu (Tartar) river in the eastern part of Mataghis village, Martakert region, Republic of Artsakh (Figs. 1, 2).

Following the 44-day Artsakh war, it was occupied by Azerbaijan.

Fig. 1 The general view of the bridge, photo by Karapetyan S., Bridges of Artsakh, Yerevan, 2009.

Fig. 2 The general view of the bridge, photo by Karapetyan S., Bridges of Artsakh, Yerevan, 2009.

Historical overview

It is a medieval bridge that has been extensively renovated. The origin of the bridge's name has been preserved in a nineteenth-century legend. It states, "This stone bridge was allegedly built by an elderly woman who left money inside the bridge for renovation. Villagers, believing this and desperate for the money, half-demolished the bridge and ruined it as a result." (Haykuni 1885, 3). According to S. Karapetyan, the legend refers to the most recent renovation, which most likely occurred between the 16th and 17th centuries (Karapetyan 2009, 60).

Architectural-compositional examination

The single-span bridge measures 7.64 meters in length, 4.78 meters in width, and 11.10 meters in height above the water level. It is made of limestone (fig. 3).

Fig. 3 The measurement of the bridge, photo by Karapetyan S., Bridges of Artsakh, Yerevan, 2009.

The condition before, during, and after the war 

The monument was fully intact and in use prior to the war. There is no information available about the bridge during or after the war.

Bibliography

  1. Karapetyan, 2009 – Karapetyan S., Bridges of Artsakh, Yerevan.
  2. Haykuni, 1885 – Haykuni, Essays on Guidance, "Bee of Armenia", No. 66.
The “Praven kamurj” bridge
The “Praven kamurj" bridge
The “Praven kamurj" bridge
Artsakh