SEEING DEVIL IN DEVIL'S BRIDGE

SEEING DEVIL IN DEVIL'S BRIDGE

Sun, 12/23/2018 - 11:25

Bulgaria's best known old bridge commands infamous name, reputation

devils bridge.jpg

In previous times, when information signs of who had built what were yet to appear on buildings of interest, people liberally filled the gaps with their imagination. When they could not explain the origins of a majestic church, a massive earth bank or even a whole city in ruins, they invented legends about supernatural creatures whom they held responsible. For some reason, predominantly Christian Europe often saw the Devil as the most probable builder of certain churches, and particularly of bridges. There is the Devil's Footstep in Frauenkirche in Munich. There is Silbury Hill near Avebury. And about a dozen Devil's Bridges exist in Germany, Wales, England, Austria, Switzerland and France.

Bulgaria, too, has its Devil's Bridge. Curiously, it is located in an area with a predominantly Muslim population.

Bulgaria's Devil's Bridge spans the upper Arda River near the small town of Ardino in the Rhodope Mountains. It is 56m long and 11.5m high at its middle arch, and is located in a landscape that compliments its beauty. This stretch of the Arda flows through an isolated area that combines sublime peaks, bucolic forests and the subtle feeling that something invisible is always on the watch.

Standing before the bridge, marvelling at the reflection of its elegant arches in the water, it is easy to believe that this feat of engineering was only made possible with supernatural help.

Devil's Bridge Bulgaria

Above and next photo: Different people see different devils in different parts of the bridge

 

Conveniently, there is a plethora of legends to explain how the bridge and the Devil are linked.

One tells that only the Devil could build such a bridge – and he did so, as daring proof of his power, leaving the imprint of his foot in the rocks around. Another tells of a Bulgarian girl running to escape a band of Ottomans and who, exhausted, decided to end it all by jumping from the bridge. When her pursuers looked down to see where she had fallen, they saw the Devil himself in the water. Terrified, they fled, and the girl emerged from the river unscathed.

Devil's Bridge Bulgaria

Challenging to the imagination, one story tells of a young builder who made a deal with the Devil. In exchange for supernatural help, the builder would put the Devil's image into the bridge in such a way that it would be simultaneously visible and hidden. It sounded impossible and the Devil was already rubbing his hands in anticipation of the man's soul, when he realised that the builder had cleverly succeeded in the task. The face of the Devil was there. You only need to crane your neck, or rotate a photo of the bridge vertically, and you are staring into the face reflected in the water.

The true history of the Devil's Bridge is as intriguing as all these legends. It was built in the 16th century, at the request of Ottoman Sultan Selim I, to facilitate travel on a millennia-old route between the Thracian Plain and the Aegean. In the mid-20th century, the route and the bridge were abandoned and forgotten as Communist Bulgaria and NATO member Greece found themselves on the opposite sides of the Iron Curtain.

Over the following years the bridge narrowly avoided disappearing completely. The construction of a dam was proposed for this stretch of the Arda. The entire vicinity was to be submerged, but for some reason the dam was never built, and the bridge survived.

Devil's Bridge Bulgaria

The Devil's Bridge is not only a dark-themed out-of-the-way experience, but also a popular fishing, bathing and picnicking spot

 

The Devil's Bridge emerged as a popular tourist destination in the 2000s, when rural and sustainable tourism was being developed, usually with EU funding. The increased popularity of the place means more visitors year round, some seemingly coming only to enjoy the barbecue area or the fishing spots. Recent renovations have robbed the centuries-old construction of its weathered charm.

However, if you have the luck to be there alone with the bridge, the river and the mountain, you would be forgiven if you find yourself listening carefully, waiting to hear the echo of the Devil's laughter, as one of the many legends about this place claims. 

 

America for Bulgaria FoundationHigh Beam is a series of articles, initiated by Vagabond Magazine, with the generous support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, that aims to provide details and background of places, cultural entities, events, personalities and facts of life that are sometimes difficult to understand for the outsider in the Balkans. The ultimate aim is the preservation of Bulgaria's cultural heritage – including but not limited to archaeological, cultural and ethnic diversity. The statements and opinionsexpressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the America for Bulgaria Foundation and its partners.

Issue 147-148 America for Bulgaria Foundation Ottoman heritage The Rhodope

Commenting on www.vagabond.bg

Vagabond Media Ltd requires you to submit a valid email to comment on www.vagabond.bg to secure that you are not a bot or a spammer. Learn more on how the company manages your personal information on our Privacy Policy. By filling the comment form you declare that you will not use www.vagabond.bg for the purpose of violating the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. When commenting on www.vagabond.bg please observe some simple rules. You must avoid sexually explicit language and racist, vulgar, religiously intolerant or obscene comments aiming to insult Vagabond Media Ltd, other companies, countries, nationalities, confessions or authors of postings and/or other comments. Do not post spam. Write in English. Unsolicited commercial messages, obscene postings and personal attacks will be removed without notice. The comments will be moderated and may take some time to appear on www.vagabond.bg.

0 comments

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Discover More

lyudmila-zhivkova-mural.jpg
WHO WAS LYUDMILA ZHIVKOVA?
Her father's daughter who imposed her own mediocrity on Bulgaria's culture? Or a forbearing politician who revived interest in Bulgaria's past and placed the country on the world map? Or a quirky mystic? Or a benefactor to the arts?

68dbb6f574e242b2efdd826937d384dd_XL.jpg
CATHOLIC BULGARIA
In 1199, Pope Innocent III wrote a letter to Bulgarian King Kaloyan to offer an union.

8f4f3ce603e0a9c7daf6b5c891a6b7b3_XL.jpg
RHODOPE IN FULL BLOSSOM
The Rhodope mountains have an aura of an enchanted place no matter whether you visit in summer, autumn or winter. But in springtime there is something in the Bulgarian south that makes you feel more relaxed, almost above the ground.

76a362b0e635f2bd7b84d5e7290d087b_XL.jpg
BIZARRE BULGARIA
There are many ways to categorise and promote Bulgaria's heritage: traditional towns and villages, Thracian rock sanctuaries, nature, sun and fun on the seaside, and so on and so forth.

8972e86d8b8aa9ca49225ef0904974cc_XL.jpg
KARLOVO
Karlovo is one of those places where size does not equal importance.

cba2911ca1c40028fa90545f6470ee1a_XL.jpg
SILENCE OF SHARDS
Pavlikeni, a town in north-central Bulgaria, is hardly famous for its attractions, and yet this small, quiet place is the home of one of the most interesting ancient Roman sites in Bulgaria: a villa rustica, or a rural villa, with an incredibly well-preserv

d888bb3ac0932627f0b18f6b52f06d68_XL.jpg
BULGARIAN EASTER
How to celebrate like locals without getting lost in complex traditions

tryavna.jpg
BULGARIA'S TOP 10 SMALL TOWNS
Small-town Bulgaria is a diverse place. Some of the towns are well known to tourists while others are largely neglected by outsiders.

matochina fotress.jpg
BORDER ZONE VILLAGE
Of the many villages in Bulgaria that can be labeled "a hidden treasure," few can compete with Matochina. Its old houses are scattered on the rolling hills of Bulgaria's southeast, overlooked by a mediaeval fortress.

342d45fc5f9732a0c3c741db143757a7_L_0.jpg
WHO WAS GEO MILEV?
Poet who lost an eye in the Great War, changed Bulgarian literature - and was assassinated for his beliefs

Kremikovtsi Metallurgy Plant.jpg
URBEX BG, PART 2
If anything defines the modern Bulgarian landscape, it is the abundance of recent ruins left from the time when Communism collapsed and the free market filled the void left by planned economy.

dlagnya church.jpg
VILLAGE WHOSE CHURCH STAYS OPEN
The villages in Bulgaria that are abuzz with life are generally located around cities in the plains, like those surrounding Plovdiv.