Türkiye advances restoration project of Ani bridge on Armenian border

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

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.

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.

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

Uraloğlu said the bridge originally measured 80 meters in length and 8 meters in width. The bridge’s circular arch, which spanned 31 meters, collapsed in 1807, Uraloğlu 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.