Historical arch bridges in Hamedan province, Iran

Abstract

Iran, one of the oldest countries in the world, is home to a number of historic arch bridges. Hamedan was the kingdom’s first capital city and contains monuments, buildings and bridges of great cultural heritage. Arch bridges in Hamedan province date from some 400 years ago. Despite natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, some of these bridges exist and are still used today. This paper describes some of the most important masonry arch bridges in the province. Related information about their engineering history, construction method, materials, foundations, cut waters and geometric data is also presented. The paper introduces the Iranian mortar called ‘sarooj’, which contains innovative components and is diverse in variety and applications. Interesting aspects of cut waters resulting from the integrity of ancient Iranian designers’ knowledge are also mentioned. The paper also indicates the rehabilitation and repair programmes that have been carried out to safeguard these valuable historical bridges against failure.