Arcade on the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge Photo by Siasard |
By
Heidi Noroozy
I’m
a sucker for bridges. It gives me a rush to stand in the middle of a river,
high and dry above the rushing stream, and contemplate all the places the river
has been, from its source in the mountains to its mouth at the sea. I like to
imagine the human stories that play out along its banks and think about the
ingenious ways people have devised for crossing from one side to the other.
The
Iranian city of Esfahan has a bridge that I’m sure was built just for dreamers
like me. The Si-o-Se Pol Bridge spans the Zayandeh Rud River and connects
Esfahan’s famous Chahar Bagh Boulevard with the Armenian neighborhood of New
Julfa. This bridge is not only one of the oldest in Esfahan (built between 1591
and 1597 on the order of Shah Abbas the Great) but also the largest anywhere in
Iran (45 feet wide and 175 yards long).
The
Si-o-Se Pol is also known as the Allah Verdi Khan Bridge, the name of the provincial
governor who oversaw its construction. Born a Christian in Georgia, Allah Verdi
Khan Undiladze was captured during one of Shah Abbas’s Caucasus campaigns. He worked
his way up to the position of commander in the Persian ghulam army, a special branch consisting of Christian captives. Later,
Abbas appointed Allah Verdi Khan governor of Pars Province in southern Iran,
and he eventually became the second most powerful man in the empire, after the
shah. How’s that for a rags-to-riches story?
The
bridge’s double-decker structure is built from the yellow brick and limestone
masonry that is typical of Esfahan architecture. On a clear day, the color
turns a burnished gold under the region’s relentless desert sun. The upper
level holds the roadway, now limited to pedestrian traffic, and is flanked by
two vaulted arcades. In the old days, when the bridge was a major thoroughfare
crowded with carriages, farmers driving stock to market, and carts laden high
with merchandise for the bazaar, these side corridors served as pedestrian
zones where people on foot could escape the danger of being trampled. Today,
they are quiet spaces where you can walk and admire the lovely arched ceilings
and high brick walls.
Photo by Shahab Maghami |
The
lower level rests on piers, separated by 33 arched sluices where the river can
flow past. These sluices lend the bridge its name, for Si-o-Se Pol means the
Bridge of 33 Arches in Farsi. The piers, in turn, are supported on piles driven
deep into the riverbed. The builders created these piles by digging shafts down
to the stable bedrock, lining the shafts with earthenware pipes, and filling
the pipes with stones and mud. Apparently, such pile construction was
cutting-edge technology in the late 16th century.
This
bottom deck also contains a teahouse with tables and chairs set up along a
narrow passage under the southern end of the bridge and also on an outside ledge
near the shore. Between the tables, flights of stone steps lead to private
chambers, where a family or group of friends can enjoy their tea out of public
view.
My
favorite features of the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge, though, are the alcoves set at
intervals along the upper deck. They form little balconies overlooking the
river, where you can sit and admire the view. See why I think this bridge was
built for dreamers like me? I did sit in one of these alcoves once,
contemplating the river, the distant mountains—and murder. (I am, after all, a
crime writer.) It was where I came up with an idea for the novel I was writing
at the time, in which a young woman is pushed from the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge and
drowns in the river below.
Sipping tea under the bridge |
I’ve
also sipped tea in one of the teahouse’s little stone rooms. After dark one
evening during Ramadan, my husband, his sister, and I sat on the red-carpeted
floor, leaning against large cushions that lined the walls, and enjoyed little
glasses of steaming tea. The river was calm that night, and we listened to it
lapping gently against the stone piers, punctuated by the occasional crash of
breaking glass.
Breaking
glass? Curious, I crawled to the window of our stone chamber and peered down
into the teahouse kitchen, which stood just above the water line. A man stood
there tossing old water pipes (known as gheylians)
out the door, where the glass portions shattered on the stone foundation over
which the river flowed. (Note to self: Never go wading barefoot in the Zayandeh
Rud—at least nowhere near the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge.)
The
Si-o-Se Pol may not be the prettiest bridge in Esfahan. That honor goes to the
Khadjou Bridge, which was built fifty years later. But I have to love a bridge whose
history is rooted in three countries and two religions: Persia, Armenia, and
Georgia and Islam and Christianity. Even better, it’s a bridge whose designers
wanted people to take a moment from their busy day and notice the wonders of
the natural world.
To
get a close-up look at the Si-o-Se Pol Bridge, check out this video by Amin
Eftekhari:
Having tea in that tea house must have been great even without the glass smashing! Again, it would be nice if more of this side of Iran was talked about!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sangeeta! I always have experiences like this when I visit Iran and I love to share them with the world. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bridge--and interesting story, Heidi. I love the photo with the golden hues.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine myself there drinking tea with you ... and possibly even contemplating murder. :-)
Love the Georgia connection. And beautiful too.
ReplyDeleteJenny, we could both plot out our next books on that bridge. You don't have to set a book there, it's just a very inspirational place.
ReplyDeleteEdith, I thought you'd like that bit of Georgian history. :)
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