Ten Arches Bridge (Amman)
Ten Arches Bridge الجسور العشرة | |
|---|---|
 The Ten Arches Bridge in Amman, 2011 | |
| Coordinates | 31°56′21″N 35°57′22″E / 31.93925°N 35.95604°E |
| Carries | Hejaz Railway |
| Crosses | Wadi Al-Rimam |
| Locale | Amman, Jordan |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Viaduct |
| Total length | 79.41 metres (261 ft)[1] |
| Width | 3.8 metres (12 ft)[1] |
| Height | 14.5 metres (48 ft)[1] |
| Longest span | 8.15 metres (27 ft)[1] |
| Clearance below | 6.51 metres (21 ft)[1] |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Ottoman Empire |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Location | |
 | |
Ten Arches Bridge (Arabic: الجسور العشرة) is a viaduct in Amman, Jordan that was built as part of the Hejaz Railway during the Ottoman Empire. It is considered one of Amman's old landmarks.
Completed in 1904 when the Amman station was inaugurated, it became a primary target for destruction by Allied forces during a World War I attack, which did not succeed. A structural analysis in 2022 showed the bridge could still withstand loads, but is at risk of damage from a strong earthquake.
History
[edit]
The viaduct was built in Amman as part of the Hejaz Railway during the Ottoman Empire.[1] It was completed in 1904 when the Amman station was inaugurated to its north.[1]
During World War I, Allied forces based in Palestine staged an attack across the Jordan River on Amman in early 1918, with the principal aim of destroying Ottoman railway communications surrounding the north and south of the city, including most importantly, the Ten Arches Bridge, which was not achieved.[2]
In 2022, researchers from the American University of Madaba performed a structural assessment on the bridge, owing to its historical value and old age, finding that it could still withstand vertical and horizontal pressures, but might be damaged by a strong earthquake.[1] The study also found that no major damages had occurred to the bridge in the past century, and that only minor maintenance work is needed, recommending a periodic assessment and inspections to maintain its structural integrity.[1]
Structure
[edit]The bridge is made of two-floor arches of limestone blocks, with the upper one made of ten arches containing the railway, and the lower one made of eight arches consisting of a pedestrian path and water drainage channels.[1][3]
The bridge is considered one of Amman's old landmarks, and is still used by trains running on the Hejaz Railway.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Structural Assessment of the Ten Arches Bridge in Jordan". 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ F. M. Cutlack (2012). The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War 1914-1918. p. 112. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ Peter H. Christensen (2017). Germany and the Ottoman Railways. Yale University Press. p. 101. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ "١١٤ عاما وجسور عمان العشرة تشهد على التاريخ العريق". Alrai. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
