Bridges presentation
their techniques. Selected examples, found in the countryside and parks, may be candidates for
World Heritage listing.
Other fine bridges survive in Iran, such as the Bridge of Khaju at Isfahan (1667), with eighteen
pointed arches, carrying an 85ft (26m) wide roadway with walled, shaded passageways, flanked by
pavilions and watch towers. This magnificent bridge, combining architecture and engineering in
splendid functional harmony, also served as a dam, and included a hostelry where travellers found
cool rooms for rest and refreshment after hot desert crossings (Figure 3).
Picturesque bridges, such as the Kintaikyo at Iwakuni (1673), with its five wooden arches intricately
wedged, slotted, and dovetailed together, are found in Japan. The superstructure of this bridge has
been rebuilt for centuries (the central three arches every 18- 22 years, and the side spans every 36
years), maintaining the fine craft tradition of the bridge keepers for centuries (Figure 4)
annaabi.ee 
