Veresk Bridge
The northern regions of Iran are mostly known with their green woods, scenic sceneries, and their tranquil nature. A more lot is added to these as there is a fascinating and exciting monolithic monument in the middle of the Alborz Mountains, which takes you through the deep valley.
Getting Northwardly farther away from Tehran, you move towards a semi-arid nature, while passing the slopes of the mountains through a very picturesque railroad. All through this trip you will be eagerly waiting to see the unique greenery of the Caspian Hyrcanian forests, with two completely different climates on each side of Alborz Mountains. All these sceneries you’re watching while boarded on train, is but owed to Veresk Bridge. Along the way, while tasting the views and beauties of the route, all placed at heart of Northern parts of Iran, never forget that these whole was not possible if this bridge was not shouldering all the weights of this pretty fairy trip. In other word, all these landscapes and dream views from Firoozkooh Road, to the forests and waterfalls of the city of Savadkuh located in the Veresk town, are best reasons why this bridge has such an important role.
Iran Railway Masterpiece
Veresk Bridge located at Veresk valley near the village of Veresk, is constructed 45-kilometer distance from Zirab City and 85 kilometer from the northern city of Qaem shahr. Veresk Bridge, at Firooz Kooh- Tehran Road, is on the railway to Iran North. Serving as the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran, this bridge is a masterpiece of engineering of its own time; the history of which dates back to Reza Shah (The Founder of Pahlavi Dynasty) reign era, when he commanded to build this bridge on a very deep valley to make it easier to travel to North of Iran via railroad. Connecting the railway between Tehran and the Caspian Sea region, Veresk Bridge is located in Mazandaran’s Veresk district of Savad Kooh county, 85 kilometers south of Ghaemshahr, that connects two of the mountains in the Abbas Abad region.
Bridge Designer
Veresk Bridge as one of the masterpieces of the Danish engineering firm Kampsax, (consisting of Danish, German and Austrian engineers) serves the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran. As it was mentioned, the building process was started by the King order; for which, he assigned German engineers to build this fabulous structure. The project was done under the supervision of head engineer Walter Inger from Austria. The construction of this bridge included craftsmen of many nationalities, including many Italians. The Master Carpenter for the construction of the lumber concrete forms was Giacomo Di Marco, from the Friuli region of Italy, that recorded all the details in the book he authored.
Veresk Technical Features
Veresk Bridge has 66 arc-shaped hatchways and a height of 110 meters (360 ft) from the bottom of the valley. This 86-meter long bridge is very marvelous and amazing and it would be more wonderful to know that this bridge connects two giant and rocky mountains together. Veresk Bridge is the connecting path of south to North Railway in Iran and amazingly, it has been built using some simple equipment and tools such as dynamites and hand drills, with no Metal structure in its construction. It has been said after finishing the bridge, people had a fear that the train wouldn’t be able to pass the narrow bridge and that it would break. According to local accounts, for better assurance of people, the engineer and his family stood under the bridge when the first train passed the bridge, as this was what Reza Shah had asked them to do.
Second World War
According to Wikipedia, during World War II, Veresk Bridge was titled as “The Victory Bridge” by Winston Churchill, the prime minister of England. During the course of the war, Reza Shah was asked by Hitler to blow up all tunnels and bridges on Iran’s railway lines, including the Veresk Bridge, in order to delay the transfer of goods and reinforcement troops to the north for the Russians. Though Hitler promised that following the Germans’ victory in the war, to replace and reconstruct all of such demolished structures, Reza Shah how away rejected the request.
Veresk Bridge Role
In addition to playing an important role in the transportation industry, this bridge is considered as one of the tourist attractions of Iran. As the real definition of Masterpiece in engineering and construction in north of Iran, after passing 70 years from its construction, this bridge still works as transition path of Tehran-Sary railroad four times a day. Moreover, many freight and fuel trains pass on this bridge annually.
Perseverance Symbol
Near Veresk Bridge is a memorial structure built on the memory of all the construction workers who lost their lives in the course of building the bridge and its nearby tunnels. The Chief Engineer, Austrian Walter Aigner, following his wishes, is buried in the local cemetery of Veresk.
Veresk which was the name of a village located in close proximity of the Veresk Bridge, at the time of bridge construction had 20 households living there. Several years after the completion of the bridge, residents of this village moved to today’s Veresk village, which was then known as Abbasabad.
The name of Veresk Bridge with a height of more than 61 meters was registered in October of 1977 with the registration number of 1534 in the list of national relics, and lateron in the Guinness World Records in the section of bridges.
Veresk Bridge Close Exploration
Visiting Iran can be a unique and incredible experience for the travelers. Many tourists travel to Iran to see the historical sites alongside the relaxing spots of the country, but it should be mentioned that there are plenty of unique and specific places like Veresk Bridge in Iran as well. So it is highly recommended to plan yourself a trip and see these spectacular spots and structures of Iran. We (Iranhrc) will proudly help you with your trip and planning.