The Arkadiko Bridge is the oldest bridge in Europe that can still be used today. The structure, also known as the Kazarma Bridge, is located in Peloponnese, Greece.
The small arched bridge, dating back to around 1,3000 BC was originally meant for use by horse-drawn chariots. The structure serves as an important landmark that is currently officially endorsed for pedestrian use. The Arkadiko bridge has remained stable for thousands of years even though it was not built with any form of binder (eg. mortar). So how has it stood for such a long time? Well, it’s all thanks to the construction style employed during its creation.
The bridge was built using Cyclopean masonry, which used massive limestone boulders that were fitted together with very little space left between each stone. The limestone and the symmetrical positioning of the blocks made the structure withstand the passage of time.
Image credit: Flausa123/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
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