Özet:

In this study, a traditional wooden bridge, located in İlişi Village, 5 km north of Bozkurt District of Kastamonu, but collapsed by a flood that caused significant damage in Bozkurt district and its surroundings on August 11, 2021, will be introduced and evaluated. The bridge, whose construction date could not be documented, was part of our traditional rural architecture. Our study is based on the field research carried out on May 11, 2016. No document or information about the construction date of the bridge has been found. According to the testimonies of the local residents, the bridge, which was once built by the villagers with the collaborative method, was damaged in a flood in 1965 and was repaired the same year. No ornamentation or technical detail was found on the Cumayani Bridge that would allow a precise dating. With the first settlement of the neighborhood where the bridge is located, the need for a bridge must have been felt. However, there is no clear document or information about the first settlement date of the village, which is known to have been founded a few hundred years ago. Considering the wooden bridges in Çankırı, Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon and Rize, which are similar to this structure with their traditional styles, it can be thought that the structure may have been built in the 19th century. The bridge, which was built on the narrowest part of the (çay) streamlet, was part of a rural road network designed to allow pedestrians and animals to cross the river barrier and reach across. The bridge, which had preserved its originality to a great extent before being destroyed, displayed typical rural architectural features of the Black Sea region. For the construction of the bridge, which is included in the group of “wooden beam bridges” in the context of typology, embankment walls and abutments were built on both sides to prevent the loose texture of the coast, and the beams carrying the bridge were placed on these masonry bridge abutments. Before it was collapsed, Cumayani Bridge was a relatively small-scale rural application of wooden bridges which is one of the traditional rural architectural construction types. All the architectural features of the bridge were in harmony with the features encountered in this type of works and did not contain any unusual elements or features. Cumayani Bridge, which has close similar examples mainly in the Black Sea region in Turkey, also has close similar ones seen in forested areas in various countries. Functionality was prioritized in the design of the unadorned structure. The type of tree used on the bridge is chestnut which is widespread in the region. Chestnut, which is compatible with the abundant rainy climate of the region, is known to be quite durable and long-lasting, and it is a suitable material widely used for bridges. Some common traditional practices were seen in the jointing details of wooden components. Recognition of the Cumayani Bridge, which forms a part of our lesser-known wooden bridges, will be favorable for our art of traditional architecture. The certification of the Cumayani Bridge, that is one of our lesser-known wooden bridges, would be valuable to our art of traditional architecture.

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