Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, Stone bridge in Višegrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge is a limestone arch bridge crossing the Drina River in Višegrad with eleven arches spanning roughly 180 meters. The arches vary in width and create a distinctive profile when viewed from the riverbank.
Built between 1571 and 1577 by architect Mimar Sinan under orders from Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović, the structure served as an important administrative and trade link in the Ottoman Empire. Its construction marked a period of significant investment in regional infrastructure.
The bridge appears in Ivo Andrić's novel as a meeting point where different communities encounter one another. Today, visitors often recognize the structure through this literary connection that shaped how people understand the place.
Walking across the bridge is the best way to experience its structure and the river from different angles. Boat tours on the Drina offer another perspective on the architecture and typically operate during favorable weather.
A wooden guard tower once stood at the middle of the bridge, of unknown date, demolished in 1886; it held small cannon called šibe and a passage closed by heavy oak doors on both sides. Two tarih inscriptions by the Sarajevo poet Muhamed Karamusić Nihadi record the years 1571 and 1577.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,362 contributors worldwide.
