Another of the lesser-known beauties of our city of Uşak is the Clandras Bridge. Clandras Bridge, Clandras Aqueduct, Clandras Promenade, even Clandras Waterfall In fact, the bridge mentioned in different sources Pepuza Ancient CityIt was built as an aqueduct to carry water to i, and now it is a cool recreation spot for the people living in the vicinity. I also stopped by Clandras Bridge on my short Uşak journey, my adventure on Clandras Bridge, where we were caught in heavy rain, awaits you in this article. Happy reading!
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Where is Uşak Clandras Bridge and How to Go?
If you ask where Uşak Clandras Bridge is and how to get there; The easiest way to reach Clandras Bridge is to go with your own vehicle. The bridge, which is approximately 40 kilometers from Uşak city center, is located within the borders of Karahallı district. When you follow the Karahallı road from Uşak, you will see the signs for the bridge.
If you have stopped by Ulubey Canyon like us, the distance from the canyon to the bridge is about 30 kilometers. You can reach the bridge by following the Avgan road.
Uşak Ulubey Canyon You may also be interested in my article, take a look.
If you want to reach Clandras Bridge by public transport; You can take the buses or minibuses going from Uşak to Karahallı, but after a point, about 2 km, there is no transportation. You can reach that part on foot or by hitchhiking.
History of Clandras Bridge
Clandras Bridge was built as an aqueduct to carry water to the ancient city of Pepuza, located within the provincial borders of Uşak and approximately 1 kilometer away. It is estimated that the history of the bridge, which is said to have been built by the Phrygians in some sources and by the Romans in some sources, dates back to 2000-2500 years ago. It is possible to follow the water channels carved into the rocks to carry water to the ancient city of Pepuza. Since we got caught in the rain, we turned back without being able to walk this road.
The arch, which was built on the Banaz Stream, where Ulubey Canyon is located, is located on the historical Lydian King Road. This region had a strategic importance during the Lydian and Phrygian period, as it had rich hot and cold water resources.
Clandras Bridge is 27 meters long, 17 meters deep and only 1.75 meters wide. The most important feature of the bridge is that the stones worked with pencils are clamped together in a mortise manner. Due to the displacement of one of the keystones of the arch, which was built in the form of a pulley, the bridge was strengthened by adding reinforced concrete.
What Does Clandras Mean?
The exact meaning of the word Clandras has not been deciphered, although there are a few guesses. One of these predictions is that the name of King Andreas, one of the Phrygian Kings, changed over time to Kılandıras. Another guess is; That it could be Kala-Adras, that is, the Coast (coastal city) of Adra. It is worth mentioning again that neither of them is clear information, historians' estimations.
Pepuza Ancient City
The importance of the ancient city of Pepuza is that it is the capital of Montanism, one of the lost sects of Christianity. The members of this sect, who lived between AD 165 and AD 550, accepted the region as a holy area and settled here. They called this place the new Jerusalem of Christianity. In fact, they believed that Jesus would descend from the sky to this city and that those who believed in him could watch this event from Mount Ömerli.
There was a small church still standing inside the cave, at a point difficult to reach in the city's location. Since there is no transportation to the city by car, we can say that it has remained partially intact. We did not have the chance to see it because of the heavy rain, I would be very happy if those who saw it add their own experiences to the comments.
Clandras Waterfall and Picnic Area
The area where the Clandras Bridge is located is a promenade. People living in the surrounding villages and cities come here to have a picnic in touch with nature.
First of all, let's clarify something: There is no natural waterfall where the Clandras Bridge is located. The water pouring from a height, called a waterfall, is a water discharge pipe belonging to the Karahallı Hydroelectric Power Plant. However, because it gives an appearance like a waterfall, it has started to be known as Clandras Waterfall among the people.
The area where the Clandras Bridge is located is also a promenade and picnic area. There are picnic tables, parking area, restaurant, pool, barbecue and camping areas in a very large area on the shore of Banaz Stream.
Vehicle entrance to Clandras Bridge Recreation Area is 10 TL. You can also think of this number as the parking entrance fee.
What to eat when you come to Clandras Aqueduct; Karahallı's liver is famous. When we had our own picnic materials, it was not time for the liver, but if you taste it, let me know.
In addition to the Clandras Bridge on your Uşak journey; Blaundus Ancient Cityi, Ulubey CanyonYou can also add the Uşak Archeology Museum to your route to see the Taşyaran Valley and Karun Treasures.
Uşak is full of unexpected surprises and has many places to see. I hope you will turn your travel route towards Uşak one day.
Stay on the Road!
2 Comments
Hello Ms. Sevil,
I am from Denizli Bekilli. I had the chance to visit Clandras Bridge twice and it was very nice. My preference is to visit in the spring seasons. We had the chance to visit Ulubey canyon. I think that Uşak is a very convenient city for tourism. Thank you for your explanation.
Spring is definitely the right time, thank you.