THE BRIDGES OF ARTSAKH

Bridge of Kchaghbyoor

The single-span, vaulted bridge of Kchaghbyoor (late 19th to early 20th centuries) is situated at the south-eastern extremity of Khachakap Village, Karhat (Dashkesan) District, Northern Artsakh—a region that suffered deportation of its Armenian population in 1988 and has been annexed to Azerbaijan since then. Except for the cornerstones of the vault-bearing arch that are finely-finished, the other parts of the bridge are laid with undressed stone and mortar.

Span length: 3.95 metres; original passage width: 4.05 metres (subsequently widened by 3 metres).

Kare (Hatam’s, Murutants) Bridge

This bridge (19th century) lies over the river Ishkhanaget, 2.4 kilometres south of Drakhtik Village, Hadrut District, Republic of Artsakh (RMK).

Bridge of Ter (Terunts)

The bridge of Ter stretches across the river Kurak in Getashen Village—stripped of its Armenian population and occupied by Azerbaijan since May 1991—Shahumian District, Republic of Artsakh (RMK). It was erected either in the late 19th, or early 20th, century on the initiative of Village Head of Getashen Arstam Yepiskopossian with an amount of money accumulated on account of the fines paid by the local disobedient inhabitants. __11. Nor-Dar, 1887, No. 127, p. 3; Mshak, 1913, No. 123, p. 2 (the originals in Armenian). The bridge piers were built of stone, and the span of wood.

Bridge of Shen

The bridge is located in Tzamdzor Village, Hadrut District, Republic of Artsakh (RMK). A structure of hewn and undressed stone with mortar, it dates back to the period between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Span length: 5.20 metres; passage width: 4.06 metres; geographical coordinates: N 39°29°44.76,°° E 46°57°58.26.°°

Bridge of Arajadzor

This is another 19th-century bridge situated across one of the left tributaries of the river Khachen, at the north-eastern edge of Arajadzor Village, Martakert District, Republic of Artsakh (RMK).

Span length: 4.30 metres; original passage width: 3.20 metres, and 4.27 metres after its widening.

Makun Bridge

Makun Bridge (span length: 5.15 metres; passage width: 3.50 metres) lies over a tributary flowing through Metz Taghk Village towards the river Ishkhanaget, at the southern extremity of the same village (Hadrut District, Republic of Artsakh (RMK)). According to its four-line construction inscription, carved in Armenian (see it in the Armenian text) on a finely-finished piece of stone (33 x 30 x 13 centimetres)—once set in the facade of the bridge looking downstream, but at present fallen off its original place—it dates back to 1890.

Transl.: In memory of Ghazar Harutiun Bejaniants, 1890.

Published for the first time.

Aslanants Bridge

This 19th-century bridge is located in the township of Verishen, Shahumian District—stripped of its Armenian population and annexed by Azerbaijan since 1992—Republic of Artsakh (RMK). __11. Ghahramanian, K. A Home Book. Relics. Yerevan, 2002, pp. 58-59 (the original in Armenian).

Bridge of Barsumshen

The bridge is situated over the river Shamkor in the neighbourhood of Barsumshen Village—purely Armenian-inhabited until 1988—Shamkhor District, Northern Artsakh, a region that suffered deportation of its Armenian population in the same year and has been annexed to Azerbaijan since then. Its construction began in 1884 on Priest Yeprem Melik-Arustamiants’s initiative financially supported by Police Officer Javad Bey Melik-Shahnazariants. __11. Nor-Dar, 1884, No. 121, p. 2 (the original in Armenian). Upon the completion of the work in 1893, __22. Nor-Dar, 1893, No. 47, p. 3 (the original in Armenian). it represented a double-span bridge of pebble and mortar. Within several decades, however, its vaults were reduced to ruins so that the local people had to replace them with a structure of logs.

Bridge of Bagher

This single-span bridge, which goes back to 1886, extended over the river Artinajoor, “at the edge of Kurdunts Gorge,” __11. Nor-Dar, 1887, No. 113, p. 3 (the original in Armenian). in a site called Bagher in Banants Village, Karhat (Dashkesan) District, Northern Artsakh—a region that suffered deportation of its Armenian population in 1988 and has been annexed to Azerbaijan since then. The building material used in its construction comprised undressed stone and mortar

Bridge of Stepan

This is another bridge lying over the river Artinajoor in Banants Village, Karhat (Dashkesan) District, Northern Artsakh—a region that suffered deportation of its Armenian population in 1988 and has been annexed to Azerbaijan since then. It was erected within a year (1886) on Village Head Stepan Hovhannissiants’s initiative and through the local people’s means (2,000 roubles). __11. Nor-Dar , 1887, No. 113, p. 3 (the original in Armenian).