Taşköprü

Overview

Taşköprü, the "stone bridge," has crossed the Seyhan River in Adana since Roman times. Built in the 4th century AD, it still carries people from one bank to the other. So it counts among the oldest bridges in the world still in use. From east to west, its arches run about 300 meters (980 feet) over the water. Since March 2026, lamps have lit the stone at night as well.

Where Taşköprü stands

The bridge lies in the city itself, and its official address is in the Sinanpaşa quarter of Yüreğir. From the city center, you can reach it by local public transport. On the west bank, the Sabancı Central Mosque, opened in 1998, stands close to the river.

Quick facts

• Good for: Roman stonework, river views, an evening walk
• Best combined with: the Adana Museum, a lunch of Adana kebab

The History of Taşköprü

A Roman bridge on the Sarus

In ancient times, the Seyhan was called the Sarus. Roman builders spanned it in the 4th century AD, when the empire found its wide lands hard to hold. Because of that, good roads and crossings mattered more than ever. For centuries afterward, the bridge served as an important link between Europe and Asia. Even now, its shape keeps the typical features of Roman bridge building.

Caliphs, sultans and governors

Later rulers kept the crossing in repair. The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid joined the bridge to Adana Castle with new additions. Early in the 9th century, his son al-Ma'mun, the seventh Abbasid caliph, had it repaired. It received care under the Ottoman sultan Ahmed III, under Kel Hasan Pasha and under Ziya Pasha, governor of Adana. Inscriptions from these last three repairs survive.

A museum at the head of the bridge

In 1928, the Adana Museum first opened to visitors in the madrasa of the Cafer Pasha Mosque, at the head of the bridge. That building no longer stands. Today, the museum fills a restored textile mill in the Döşeme quarter, so you can follow its story at the Adana Museum.

What to See on Taşköprü

Fourteen arches over the Seyhan

Today, the bridge rests on 14 arches, with 5 smaller relieving arches between them. It stands about 12 meters (39 feet) high. Its middle sits about 2.5 meters (8 feet) higher than its ends, so the walkway climbs gently toward the center and drops again. On average, it is about 9.5 meters (31 feet) wide. From the riverside paths, you see the long row of arches mirrored in the water.

Walking across the bridge

Start on one bank and walk up the gentle rise to the middle. From the top, the Seyhan opens out on both sides of you. Then carry on to the far bank, and look back at the arches from the riverside path. Because so many rulers repaired it, the stones under your feet hold the work of many centuries.

Taşköprü after dark

In March 2026, the first stage of a lighting project on the bridge came to an end. Since then, 59 lamps have lit its arches at night. So an evening walk shows the old stone in a new way, with its light reflected in the Seyhan.

Visiting Taşköprü

How to visit Taşköprü

The bridge is part of the city streets, so you walk onto it from either bank. From the city center, local public transport takes you there. We walk you over the Taşköprü on the way to an Adana kebab lunch.

Before you go

On our Adana day, you begin at the bridge in the morning. Then you walk along the west bank to the Sabancı Central Mosque. You sit down for Adana kebab, a registered local name since 2005; our guide to Turkish kebabs explains the styles. After lunch, the day ends at the Adana Museum.

On our 10-day food journey, you drive to Adana from Gaziantep on day six. That day, you see the Taşköprü over the Seyhan and stop for a lunch of Adana kebab. On the next day, you fly on to İzmir and the olive groves of Urla. So the bridge sits between the baklava of Gaziantep and the wine of the Aegean. For more of the region, see our Mediterranean guide.

Updated: October 26, 2026.

Seeing Taşköprü with Us

Would you like to cross a Roman bridge before an Adana kebab? Our Adana city and food tour starts at Taşköprü in the morning. On a longer trip, our 10-day Turkey food tour stops here too. Morning on the bridge, kebab at noon: send us the day you are in Adana.