Kriva Ćuprija, Ottoman arch bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kriva Ćuprija is a stone arch bridge crossing the Radobolja River in central Mostar. It features a single curved span built from limestone and measures approximately 8 meters across.
The earliest written record of the bridge is the 1558 vakufnama of Mostar benefactor Ćejvan-čehaja, who endowed funds for its upkeep on the Radobolja, implying it already stood. A 1566 vakufnama by Nesuh-aga Vučjaković also provided for maintenance, leading some authors to wrongly credit him. It was damaged by shelling in the 1990s war and collapsed in a December 2000 flood, then was rebuilt with UNESCO support and Luxembourg funding, completed in 2001.
The name Kriva Ćuprija means "Crooked Bridge" in Bosnian. Local tradition recorded by historian Hivzija Hasandedić holds that the Stari Most was built following this bridge as a model, and later popular accounts describe it as a test model for the larger span over the Neretva. It stands in the Priječka čaršija area, about 100 metres upstream of the Radobolja's mouth.
The bridge is easy to locate near restaurants and markets in the historic city center. It functions as a pedestrian crossing throughout the year and connects different parts of the Old Town.
Local tradition holds that the Stari Most was built using Kriva Ćuprija as a model or test piece, as recorded by historian Hivzija Hasandedić. The smaller bridge thus served as a trial for the larger one over the Neretva.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,299 contributors worldwide.