Türkiye advances joint restoration project of historic bridge on Armenian border

ANKARA

Türkiye has completed the tender process for the reconstruction of the historic Ani Bridge on the Turkish-Armenian border, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said on Oct. 25.

Estimated to date back to the 10th century, the bridge, of which only its piers remain today, has emerged as a symbol of normalization efforts between Türkiye and Armenia, which have no diplomatic relations and have kept their land border closed for decades.

The agreement, signed in Yerevan on May 4, outlines the scope and methods of the reconstruction work.

Under the protocol, restoration work will be coordinated by a joint commission involving Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry and the General Directorate of Highways (KGM), Uraloğlu said.

The General Directorate of Highways held a tender for the bridge’s restoration works on Sept. 16, Uraloğlu said, adding that the process was completed with the signing of a contract on Sept. 28.

“With the reconstruction of the historic bridge, we aim to preserve one of the important cultural heritage sites along the Silk Road and pass it on to future generations,” he said.

Uraloğlu said the bridge originally measured 80 meters in length and 8 meters in width. It was built at the narrowest point of the Arpaçay River, where the riverbed narrows to 36 meters.

The bridge’s circular arch, which spanned 31 meters, collapsed on Oct. 16, 1807, he said, noting that the structure had once served as an important crossing point along the Silk Road.

The Ani archaeological site, which includes the bridge, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2016 alongside 20 other cultural assets.

Türkiye and Armenia have had no diplomatic relations since 1991, while their shared land border has remained closed since 1993 amid tensions related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and disagreements over the events of 1915.

The normalization process gained momentum in late 2021 with the appointment of special envoys by both countries.

Since then, the two sides have taken several confidence-building steps, including launching direct cargo flights, discussing the opening of the land border to third-country nationals and diplomats, and advancing projects such as the Gyumri-Kars railway and the restoration of the historic Ani Bridge.