Historic Ani Bridge to be rebuilt by Turkey and Armenia joint commission

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the historic Ani Bridge, located at the Ani Archaeological Site in Kars and built on the Silk Road in the 10th century, will be restored under the coordination of a joint Turkey-Armenia commission. The restoration implementation tender for the structure was held on September 16, 2026, and the contract was signed on September 28.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu shared information regarding the reconstruction of the Ani Silk Road Bridge, which is located in Ani, one of the important trade centers of the Middle Ages, and of which only pier remnants have survived to the present day. Located at the narrowest point of the Arpaçay River, the bridge originally had a length of 80 meters and a width of 8 meters, and its 31-meter-span circular arch collapsed on October 16, 1807. The Ancient City of Ani was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016 along with its 21 cultural assets.

Within the framework of cooperation carried out between Turkey and Armenia, the protocol determining the scope and method of the restoration works was signed in Yerevan on May 4, 2026. The joint commission, formed following the meeting attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and including the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the General Directorate of Highways, is coordinating the process. Following the restoration implementation tender held by the General Directorate of Highways on September 16, 2026, the contract was signed on September 28, completing the tender process.