Azerbaijan celebrates fourth anniversary of Khudafarin Bridge liberation

Today, October 18, marks the anniversary of the liberation of the ancient Khudafarin Bridge, located in the Jabrayil district, along with the surrounding territories, from occupation by Armenian armed forces.

It has been four years since the bridge, which spans the Araz River at the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, was freed from Armenian control, Caliber.Az reports.

On October 18, 2020, alongside the Khudafarin Bridge in Karabakh, two more settlements in the Jabrayil district – the villages of Hajili and Haji Isagli – were also liberated from occupation.

The Khudafarin Bridges are unique architectural monuments, consisting of 11 and 15 arches, and date back to the 11th to 13th centuries. These stone bridges, lined with large slabs, are regarded as remarkable examples of historical construction.

Experts believe that the 11-arched bridge was built during the rule of the Ilkhanids (Hulaguids) on the remnants of an ancient bridge. The structure is approximately 130 metres long, 6 metres wide, and rises 12 metres above the river. Today, three of its central arches remain, while the coastal parts of the bridge were destroyed by Soviet authorities in the 1930s.

The 15-arched Khudafarin Bridge dates to the 13th century. According to the historian Hamdallah Qazvini, it was constructed by Bakr ibn Abdullah, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, in the fifteenth year of the Hijri calendar (639 AD).

The bridge’s supports were built on natural rock foundations, which resulted in varying span sizes between the arches. This bridge, made of fired bricks and river stones, is approximately 200 metres long, 4.5 metres wide, and rises 12 metres above the river at its highest point.

By Aghakazim Guliyev