Khudafarin Bridges, Medieval stone arch bridges on Aras River between Azerbaijan and Iran.
Khudafarin Bridges, also known as Khoda Afarin Bridges, are two medieval crossings over the Aras River near the border shared by Azerbaijan and Iran. One bridge stands on fifteen arches while the other rests on eleven, separated by a distance of roughly eight hundred meters.
Both crossings trace their origin back to the Achaemenid period, though early timber constructions were later replaced with stone arches. The geographer Hamdallah Mustawfi described them in the 14th century as key links along trade routes through the Caucasus region.
These stone structures represent a meeting point between Azerbaijani and Iranian architectural traditions, featuring distinct construction methods using river cobblestone and baked brick materials.
Both structures lie within the border zone between Azerbaijan and Iran and remain inaccessible to ordinary visitors. Anyone wishing to visit requires official permission from authorities on both sides.
The longer of the two spans extends for roughly two hundred meters and rises about ten meters (roughly 33 feet) above the water. Despite their different number of arches, both structures maintain the same roadway width of roughly four and a half meters (about 15 feet) throughout.
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