Dandalo Arched Bridge

Around forty old arched bridges survive in Adjara, one of the densest concentrations anywhere in Europe. Dandalo is among the most elegant of them: a single arch of roughly thirty metres thrown across a narrow point of the Adjaristsqali, a short way upstream from Keda. The bridges date mostly from the 11th to 13th centuries, some later. The method was simple and clever. Natural rock outcrops on both banks served as abutments; the arch was built over a timber frame that was then knocked away. Lime mortar was mixed with egg white, which is a large part of why these bridges are still standing while Soviet concrete crossings beside them have washed out. A few things to notice at Dandalo: - The arch is slightly pointed rather than semicircular — structurally more efficient, and it lifts the deck higher above flood level - The flat stone slabs on the roadway are laid to shed water sideways rather than let it pool - There was never a parapet: this was built for pack animals and loads, not for strolling Twenty minutes is enough to see it. If you have the time and the interest, more bridges lie in the same valley — Tsablana and Purtio in Keda municipality, and the Makhuntseti bridge beside the waterfall, which is better known and much busier. Dandalo's advantage is precisely that almost nobody is here: the sound of the river, the arch, and forest on both banks.

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