The Stone Bridge, or Taş Köprü (meaning “Stone Bridge” in Turkish), is a significant historical landmark located in the city of Kars, Turkey. It spans the Kars River and sits near the base of the prominent Kars Castle.
The bridge was originally commissioned in 1579 under the Ottoman Sultan Murad III as part of a larger urban development program led by Lala Mustafa Pasha. It was constructed using meticulously cut basalt blocks, characteristic of the region’s architecture. The original structure was a three-arch bridge, measuring approximately $53.5 \text{ m}$ long and $8.40 \text{ m}$ wide.
However, the original structure was damaged and ultimately destroyed by a flood. It was subsequently rebuilt in 1719 by Karahanoğlu Hacı Ebubekir Bey, one of Kars’s local leaders, who restored it closely to its original design, leading it to sometimes be known as the Karahanoğlu Bridge.
The Taş Köprü remains a functional and actively used part of the city, serving pedestrians and vehicles. Its historical architecture makes it a key symbol of Kars, visually connecting the modern city to its Ottoman past, standing as a durable witness to centuries of the region’s history.
