Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Int. J. of Herit. Archit., cilt.2, ss.230-247, 2017 (Hakemli Dergi)
Timber was probably the first material used by humans to construct a bridge structure since Neolithic
era. The oldest man-made bridges were probably done by laying tree trunks across streams in girder
fashion. Later, many timber bridges were built all over the world, using many variants of beams, cantilevers, trusses and arches. In Turkey, the Hittite Bridge in Ambarlıkaya near Hattuşa, the capital city
of the Hittite Empire, today in Çorum Province, is known as the oldest bridge constructed with wooden
beams laid across Ambarlıkaya gorge. In Turkey, historical timber bridges belonging to ancient times
could not survive till now while only a few belonging to the 19th century are still standing and reflect
the materials and construction technologies of the past. Those bridges, therefore, are very valuable
and deserve to be discovered in terms of their technical specifications. The present study is an effort to
classify the historical timber bridges in Turkey that have survived up until today. To do that, the study
has started with literature survey about the historical development and classification of timber bridges
throughout the history in the world. By using that knowledge, the historical timber bridges in Turkey
were classified in groups depending on their construction technologies. Discovery of the visible and
invisible technical features of historical timber bridges has vital importance for transferring that knowledge to conservation practitioners for repairs and maintenance of these bridges. This research is, in fact,
a useful and effective attempt to transfer that knowledge achieved in the past to young generations.