WRVM+JC Shile, Republic of Dagestan, Russia
In the Dagestani village of Gulli, there is a mysterious wooden bridge that bears the burden of centuries. Less than a hundred kilometers from the tourist city of Derbent, on the road leading to the Khanag Waterfall, there is the equally attractive village of Gulli, where people come to see the wooden bridge that has withstood the test of time. It is thrown over a small and shallow tributary of the Khanag-Chay River. The bridge is reliably constructed: once bulls with carts passed over it, and today it can support a passenger car.
“Oh, it was built 700 years ago!” one of the locals will start. “Nothing of the sort,” objects his neighbor, “my grandfather said the bridge is 400 years old and his great-great-grandfather repaired it.” The ensuing dispute can last for hours, and the facts that the shepherds skillfully flaunt will be enough until sunset, when their obedient herds begin to return home across the ancient bridge.
The bridge, connecting small villages in the Tabasaran district, rises ten meters above the riverbed and has a rather complex structure. Considering it was built without a single nail, it is truly a masterpiece of engineering thought. The beams themselves, fitted as precisely as the stones of the Egyptian pyramids, hold long poles.
These latches serve as nails. The craftsmen of the past worked according to classical construction technology – it resembles the creation of a typical log house. The bridge itself stands on a stone pedestal foundation, the elements of which are connected with an extremely strong mortar meant to last centuries. The wood chosen by the builders for construction was no accident: the forests of the Tabasaran district lead the green zone in southern Dagestan. Therefore, the forests were the main building material for all the surrounding villages.
Scientists, using dendrochronology, claim that the bridge was built in the 1790s. In many places, there are younger patches – at least 150 years old. However, there are more modern signs of repair: locals repair their ancient pedestrian path using improvised methods and without any contractors.
Despite its venerable age, honorable status as cultural heritage, and claim as the main attraction of the district, the bridge continues to be used for its intended purpose. It has withstood more than one century, and it is hard to imagine how much horse-drawn transport passed over it and how many travelers crossed the river here. Surprisingly, over these years the bridge has not accumulated any legends, mysticism, or omens.
Sources:
Valeria Poddaeva: Without a Single Nail: The Bridge That Has Withstood Several Centuries
