Bulgaria Inside

Bulgarian craftsman Kolio Ficheto started the construction of a bridge over Yantra River near the town of Byala in 1867.

Construction was set to begin in 1865, when local Ottoman ruler Midhat Pasha demanded the creation of the bridge. His idea was to create a facility that will connect Rousse, Veliko Turnovo, Botevgrad and Sofia.

Kolio Ficheto returned to Veliko Turnovo where he used wax candles to model the bridge. For days, the craftsman heated the wax in order to be able to shape it. His model had 14 arches and resembled old Roman bridges. Its construction was simplified but solid. Once done, Kolio Ficheto returned to Byala to calculate the river water level.

Construction started in 1865 and was finalized two years later. The bridge was already in use in 1867 and connected the two banks of Yantra.

The bridge is 276 m long and nine m wide. The arches are decorated and depict animal images. In 1897, a flood took down eight of the arches. Though they were replaced, the bridge maintained its architectural integrity.