Bridge near Kemer

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Bridge near Seydikemer

The Bridge near Seydikemer is a Roman bridge that once crossed the Xanthos river in Lycia, southwestern Turkey. Today only a short fragment remains: a 29-meter-long, 4.5-meter-wide section on the right bank, located about 4 kilometers upstream from Seydikemer, where the river bed can be as wide as 500 meters.

The ramp shows three arches. Two arches are unusually flat, only about 1 meter high. The third arch is semicircular. The arches were built with locally cut limestone and mortar, with an inner core of rubble and mortar. The road pavement has disappeared, but the ramp still shows the old slope.

The bridge includes hollow chambers inside its walls. A large hollow chamber sits above the third arch to save weight and material; another small chamber is in the upper part of the second pier. Circular ducts run through the bridge, likely from scaffolding used during construction. The third pier has a floodway to let water pass.

The bridge stands about 8 meters above the river sediments, indicating it was a substantial structure spanning a wide river. It probably dates from the early 3rd century AD and may have been part of a Roman road that ran west from Kadyanda into the Xanthos valley, possibly connecting to a pass to Oinoanda.

It is a notable example of early segmental arches and hollow chamber construction in Lycia. For comparison, the Limyra Bridge in Lycia is a well-preserved, larger example with many arches; other Roman bridges with similar features include the Makestos, Aesepus, and White Bridge.