Shaharah Bridge

 Shaharah Bridge was built in 17th Century CE, in Yemen and though it may just look like a regular bridge at first, it has interesting stories connected to it. Structure was designed to fall apart in minutes in event that Turks tried to invade and it was also a logical solution to another age-old problem.

Stretching across a 300ft deep gorge between two mountains, bridge is still commonly used by citizens in the neighbouring villages. Bridge can be found in the Ahnum Mountain Range in north-western Yemen in the ‘Amran governorate, 140km away from Sana’a. It connects two mountains, Jabal al Emir and Jabal al Faish, by stretching across a canyon formed where the two come close together. The bridge is 65ft long and 9ft wide. It is primarily made of limestone, which is an abundant material in mountains. Shaharah Bridge leads to the town of Shaharah.

It is not known for how many centuries’ people have been living in Ahnum Mountains. Yemen itself is one of the oldest centres of civilization in the world. The country is located at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula. While most of the peninsula is arid, Yemen is fertile and experiences regular rainfall. From very early on, the country served as a natural conduit for trade between the East African and Middle Eastern kingdoms. Archaeological evidence shows that large settlements existed in northern Yemen’s mountains at least as far back as 5000 BC.

Before Yemen was engulfed in civil war, Shaharah Bridge was one of most popular tourist attractions for those adventurous enough to make the trek out to see it. With time, it earned the moniker ‘Bridge of Sighs’ because the spectacular sight of a rudimentary stone bridge spanning two mountains left onlookers speechless.