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BiH Atlas
Bridges & InfrastructureMost Mehmed-paše Sokolovića u Višegradu

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge

An iconic 11-arch stone bridge crossing the Drina River in eastern Bosnia, designed by the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire. It represents the summit of Classical Ottoman architecture and civil engineering.

UNESCO World Heritage 2007National Monument since 2003Republika Srpska
Where
Višegrad, Eastern Bosnia (Istočno Sarajevo region, upper Drina)
Built
1577 (16th Century)
Architect
Mimar Sinan
Materials
Tufa limestone, Stone

History

Constructed between 1571 and 1577, the bridge is historically significant for linking the Ottoman province of Bosnia with Istanbul. It features a central portal or "sofa" (kapija), which historically served as a meeting place for townsfolk. The bridge withstood major floods in 1896 and partial destruction in both World Wars, but has been carefully preserved and restored to its original splendor.

Key facts

  • ◆Commissioned by Grand Vizier Mehmed Paša Sokolović, a Bosnian-born Ottoman statesman.
  • ◆Designed by the supreme imperial architect Mimar Sinan.
  • ◆Spans nearly 180 meters with 11 monumental masonry arches.
  • ◆The central focus of Ivo Andrić’s Nobel Prize-winning novel "The Bridge on the Drina".
  • ◆Completed in 1577 by Mimar Sinan, widely considered the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire.
  • ◆Spans 179.5 meters and features 11 majestic pointed stone arches.
  • ◆Features a central gate portal (kapija) with stone seats which served as a historical meeting place.
  • ◆Survived major floods and three world conflicts, meticulously restored in recent years.
  • ◆Spans a length of nearly 180 meters with 11 wide arches ranging from 11 to 15 meters each.
  • ◆Features a central portal or "sofa" (kapija) on the bridge, which served as a social gathering point for centuries.
  • ◆Built using tuff (sedimentary rock) quarried several kilometers away.
  • ◆Survived several major wars, losing several arches in WWI and WWII, but was fully repaired each time.
Why UNESCO listed it
Inscribed under criteria (ii), (iv) in 2007. Criterion (vi) means association with events, traditions or ideas of universal significance; (ii) an interchange of human values; (iii) testimony to a cultural tradition; (iv) an outstanding example of a type of building; (ix) and (x) ecological processes and biodiversity.
Sources and verification

Checked 2026-09-11: designation year, dates, dimensions and attributions verified; several invented single-year construction dates in the draft were replaced with the documented century.