Historic Cizre (Yafes) Bridge and its Astrological Reliefs

The Historic Cizre Bridge — also called in sources the Yafes Bridge, the Ibn Omar Bridge, or locally the Bafid Bridge — is a monumental medieval bridge over the Tigris that today survives only with its great arch and some piers.

History

Known to have been built in the 12th century, it is thought to belong to the Artukids or, more probably, the Mosul Atabegs (Zengids); based on an inscription dated AH 559 / AD 1164 at the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır, it is related that the Zengid vizier Jamal al-Din Muhammad al-Isfahani had a bridge built over the Tigris near Cizre.

Architecture and Astrological Reliefs

The bridge had five pointed arches — one large in the middle, smaller ones at the sides; sources give its length as about 141 metres and the height of the central arch as 17 metres. Its most important feature is the set of eight astrological reliefs on the surviving western pier. Carved from limestone rather than the basalt used for the bridge's fabric, these reliefs depict figures in varied poses that symbolise planets and zodiac signs; in this respect the bridge is one of the rare examples of astronomy- and astrology-themed stonework in medieval Islamic art and is associated with the scientific tradition of Cizre's genius al-Jazari.

Access and Security Warning

IMPORTANT ACCESS WARNING: Because the riverbed shifted over time, the bridge remnant today lies in a sensitive zone very close to the Syrian border, about 2 km east of Cizre; free, individual visits are therefore generally not possible, and border-security and military-zone restrictions apply. Current access permission and the security situation must be confirmed with local authorities (district governorate / gendarmerie) before any visit.

Recommendation for Guides

When adding Cizre to a DMC itinerary, this bridge can be considered — only if permission and safety conditions allow — as a distant-view or specially permitted “niche history-science” stop; if conditions do not allow, its story can be told together with the al-Jazari narrative at the Great Mosque.