How to Prevent an Invasion? Build a Bridge! The Shaharah Bridge in Yemen, a Bridge of Sighs

The Shaharah Bridge was built in the 17th century in Yemen and though it may just look like a regular bridge at first, it has interesting stories connected to it. The structure was designed to fall apart in minutes in the event that Turks tried to invade and it was also a logical solution to another age-old problem.

The Bridge’s Features

Stretching across a 300-foot (91-meter) deep gorge between two mountains, the bridge is still commonly used by citizens in the neighboring villages. The bridge can be found in the Ahnum Mountain Range in northwestern Yemen in the ‘Amran governorate, approximately 87 miles (140 kilometers) away from the country’s capital city, Sana’a. It connects two mountains, Jabal al Emir and Jabal al Faish, by stretching across a canyon formed where the two come close together. The bridge is 65 feet (20 meters) long and 9 feet (3 meters) wide. It is primarily made of limestone, which is an abundant material in the mountains. The Shaharah Bridge leads to the town of Shaharah.

• Axum: Legendary Kingdom of Ancient Ethiopia
• Are the Reclusive Shihuh People of Musandam the Original Arabians?
• Archaeologists Discover that Earliest Known Arabic Writing Was Penned by a Christian