Cinyps Bridge (Wadi Ka'am)
Cinyps · Wadi Kaam Bridge · Cinyphus
Roman (Hadrianic, 2nd c. CE)·Roman (Tripolitania)·🇱🇾 Tripolitania, Wadi Ka'am (Khoms), Libya
About
About Cinyps Bridge (Wadi Ka'am)
Three-arched Roman bridge over Oued Ka'am / Cinyps River, carrying the coastal road between Oea and Leptis. Ashlar voussoirs 15 m span each, flood cutwaters, linked to Hadrianic cisterns and dam upstream. Still carries wadis floods.
Why it mattersBest-preserved Tripolitanian bridge illustrating Hadrianic road programme.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Dam capacity upstream
- 02Bridge's toll station
Theories
- 01Hadrian visited bridge site 128 CE
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Hadrianic bridge c. 125 CE; dam and cisterns contemporary
- Period
- Roman (Hadrianic, 2nd c. CE)
- Culture
- Roman (Tripolitania)
- Purpose
- Flood-proof coastal via between Oea and Leptis
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 125 CE
Hadrianic bridge built (3 arches 15 m)
2nd c. CE
Upstream dam and cisterns built
6th c. CE
Byzantine repairs with spolia
On the ground
Structures & features
32.5300° N · 14.4500° E · 15 m · 2 mapped features
Central Arch of Cinyps Bridge
bridgeCentral voussoir arch 15 m span with cutwater
32.5310° N · 14.4510° ECinyps Dam Upstream
damRoman dam 80×5 m feeding cisterns 200 m upstream
32.5290° N · 14.4490° E