Mes Bridge, Stone arch bridge in Shkodër municipality, Albania
The Mes Bridge is a stone arch structure spanning the Kiri River with thirteen arches of different sizes. It rises to about fifteen meters high and extends roughly 108 meters across the water.
Kara Mahmud Bushati, the Ottoman Albanian pasha of Shkodër, built the bridge around 1770 to link Shkodër with Drisht and the towns to the north. A first phase in 1768 comprised the central arch and three smaller arches; seasonal flooding forced a second phase in 1770 that added the remaining arches and a 14° bend near the main arch to follow the rock formations in the riverbed.
The bridge's Albanian name, Ura e Mesit, means "the bridge in the middle", after the village of Mes where it stands. It is counted as a monument of Postribë culture, and the Albanian Development Fund spent 13 million lekë on an access way so visitors could walk onto the deck.
The river can rise quickly during heavy rain, so check conditions before visiting. Steps have been added to help visitors descend safely and get close views of the structure.
Construction happened in two phases, with the central arch built first at about 21.5 meters wide. Additional arches were then added on both sides to complete the full structure.
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