The old stone bridge

The bridge, like any building, especially when it is made of stone, carries its own magic. But in this post I will show you the most magical thing in this regard in my opinion.

First, I'll show you a 16th century bridge. From the time when Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule. And this automatically gives birth to legends about its construction. Maybe because there is simply no written information about this exact period and this exact building. And the popular memory, or rather the popular imagination, usually turns out to be cruel in its fabrications. Or simply our past, humanity's past has always been cruel.

Because legends often contain cruelties.
I remember a thick book I bought years ago (unfortunately, I don't have it anymore) - legends of the Eifel. There were quite a few horror stories there. As it is here, given the century, era and events at that time.

Maybe it should start with the name of the place. This bridge is called the Devil's Bridge, and here the imagination of the people's memory first ran wild.
I have read many Catholic stories about the Devil. Like why the dome of some church is crooked. People have explained every single inexplicable phenomenon with 'his' intervention, or excused their every mistake with 'him'. How clever. And how unfair, at the same time.

If one has not read any legends before coming here (as I had not), one will simply marvel at the wonderful workmanship of this ancient bridge, which has the characteristics and feel of a Roman bridge as it was at the beginning of its existence.

Walking on this ancient structure, enjoying the great view of the river below is wonderful.

But that's not what I want to focus on today. But on the view from below.

Have you ever been at the base of a bridge? What about under a bridge?

I don't know how you perceive things, but this position seems so unrealistic to me that it is even wrong.

You know about the tradition not to pass under a ladder leaning against a house. In order not to disturb the balance.

When one stands under a bridge, one feels the same way. It's as if one is disturbing some balance.

I exclude the legends. They are terrible. I don't know about the beliefs in your country, but in Bulgaria, according to folk tales, bridges have always been built by embedding the shadow of a maiden.
Don't ask me how this happened. The girl was probably just killed to be sacrificed, I don't know 🤔 And then people just blamed the devil for their own actions. This is my explanation of the inexplicable.

But looking at a bridge from below... a bridge is built to be walked on above, not below. So my walk below was like breaking the rules.

So, bridges continue to be magical structures for me, despite the twisted legends.

I know it, because I keep having weird dreams with the bridge from the village I grew up in as a child. I never went under this bridge then because this place was always inaccessible - with a lot of vegetation, willows and many snakes around. So I'm glad I did this with this ancient, stone bridge (stone structures are my favorite) - the old bridge over Arda River in Kardzhali Region, popularly known as the Devil's Bridge (probably to achieve greater attractiveness or something)...

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... now comes the fun part - the moment I typed this parenthetical addition at 2 a.m. last night, the power suddenly went out. 😃
But I will not be intimidated. There are devil's bridges in other countries too, right? Even in Germany. So, I wonder what the legends are about them and why they are named that way.

Thank you for your time! Copyright:	@soulsdetour
	Soul's Detour is a project started by me years ago when I had a blog about historical and not so popular tourist destinations in Eastern Belgium, West Germany and Luxembourg. Nowadays, this blog no longer exists, but I'm still here - passionate about architecture, art and mysteries and eager to share my discoveries and point of view with you.

Personally, I am a sensitive soul with a strong sense of justice.
Traveling and photography are my greatest passions.
Sounds trivial to you?
No, it's not trivial. Because I still love to travel to not so famous destinations.🗺️
Of course, the current situation does not allow me to do this, but I still find a way to satisfy my hunger for knowledge, new places, beauty and art.
Sometimes you can find the most amazing things even in the backyard of your house.😊🧐🧭|