Skarfos Bridge

[Dominic]

We have been meaning to blog about the Venetian Bridges for some time, so today I thought I would start with Skarfos, as this is easily accessible and is the Western-most Venetian Bridge that I am aware of. Situated just off the road to Simou from the B7, it may not be the most spectacular bridge Cyprus has to offer, but there are enough other attractions nearby to make it worth your journey, as you shall see...

Read the article and chat about it below...

[Dominic]

O you are probably right, but there is no evidence of a river running there other than the bridge. Given that Cypriots will quite happily relocate entire villages, moving a bridge isn't totally unfeasible. That does however raise another question; why would they bother?

[LouiseCastricum]

A short film about the Skarfos bridge, where you can still see how the river used to run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JMOMJyHpdw

[Dominic]

Excellent! You are quite right. From above you can quite clearly see the old course. I really must get to grips with my drone.

[PaphosAL]

Another classic and interesting blog thanks, Dominic!

It makes it more emphatic, when one has been there themself (and also visited the same nearby abandoned villages you mention) in the ancient Toyota 2WD twin cab, taking photos and punching GPS coordinates into the Magellan Satnav for later group walks...

My gut feeling is that Skarfos Bridge hasn't been physically relocated. And neither has the river (feeding Evritou reservoir and dam) been intentionally diverted to bypass the bridge..

River courses over a long period of time (600 years approx, in this case) seemingly have a mind of there own! Browse this Wikipedia link to see where I'm coming from on this theory:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbow_lake

Agreed, a lunch in sleepy Simou village square is nice afterwards! I only fancied a large cold Carlsberg, having earlier enjoyed a blow-out buffet breakfast at the Aloe (where I was staying). The guy brought my beer out and asked me if I fancied a plate of fat chips, LOL! Politely declined, as I was meeting up with friends for an evening meal later, so wanted to build up my appetite, not destroy it.

Cheers- AL

[cyprusmax47]

Excellent! You are quite right. From above you can quite clearly see the old course. I really must get to grips with my drone.

In not sure but I think to remember that the river 40 years ago was running under the bridge and on the side of it in good wet Winters. I believe that the Authorities moved the riverbed slightly away from the bridge in order that the trees and shrubs don't overgrow the little treasure. Also to protect the foundation of the bridge on the side where the river was already lay it open. If one goes on the google map satellite image clearly you can see the curved line around the bridge of the dense vegetation. But I will find out after the holidays from friends of mine living in Simou village if this can be confirmed.
Max

[Yioula]

Fabulous Blog again...........it's a shame that a large percentage of tourists don't venture much further than their sunbed .......there is so much to see ........Cyprus has such an interesting heritage ....

[PaphosAL]

Look very forward to learning more about that theory, Max! Makes emminent sense when you think about it, despite the fact that it shoots my own 'naturally meandering river' theory down in flames...

One strange feature that I've noticed from photos of these mediaeval Venetian bridges is that one side seems to be a very shallow approach, gradient wise. While the opposite side looks to be humungorously steep! What's all that about, I wonder?

Cheers- AL

[Lofos-5]

[...]despite the fact that it shoots my own 'naturally meandering river' theory down in flames...

Well done for your independent research Al - not many people know of the term and concepts of meanders and oxbow lakes. In geology lessons we learn, and the Wiki article describes this too, that meanders only occur in the last stage of a river's course where the terrain is very flat and there is hardly a gradient/slope left. From the Youtube video you can see this is not the case here - there are even little waterfalls a bit upstream. In geological terms you have braided rivers a bit further upstream, followed by alluvial planes etc.

A little diagram here - best I could find for the moment w/o scanning my textbooks.

schematic-diagram-of-a-river.jpg (65.27 KiB) Viewed 7515 times

Nice blog - wasn't even aware of this bridge - thank you!

A.

[PaphosAL]

Is it not possible, I wonder, that the man-made installation of the Evritou reservoir and dam near Simou kind of altered it's feed river behaviour, causing it possibly to believe it was now in a flood plain area, so start meandering subsequently?

Flowing water always finds it's own fastest route from source to outflow, does it not? Not argueing, just interested!

Cheers- AL

[Dominic]

I shall ask the river next time I am down there.

[cyprusmax47]

Is it not possible, I wonder, that the man-made installation of the Evritou reservoir and dam near Simou kind of altered it's feed river behaviour, causing it possibly to believe it was now in a flood plain area, so start meandering subsequently?

Flowing water always finds it's own fastest route from source to outflow, does it not? Not argueing, just interested!

Cheers- AL

Evretou Dam was finished 1986 and never extended back as far as the bridge area...
Max

[Kili01]

Perhaps the winters used to be much wetter in days gone by then, than they are most years now?

Dee