Where and What is Der Al Zour ?

Der Al Zour is a city located northeastern of Syria and through it run the waters of the River Euphrates. The land of this city and it’s rural surroundings are fertile and provide excellent farming land for farmers and citizens to grow crops and raise sheep.

This City has been the center of Syria’s oil extracting industry since the discovering of light crude oil in the Syrian desert. Der Al Zour is situated about 120 km northwest from the ancient city of Mari and 85 km northwest of the archaeological remains of Dura-Europos.

Image via Google

The Bridge Itself

The Der Al Zour suspension bridge was built in the early 1930s when Syria was under the rule of the French. This bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and is about 36 metres high 500 metres long.

Under this bridge flows the River Euphrates which also passes through Iraq and Turkey, the bridge was built so that the French army could cross the river, cars used to be allowed to go on the bridge with two police men situated on each side of the bridge directing the cars. Nowadays cars are not allowed to pass over the bridge but it used only for walking. If you take walk on the bridge and stomp with your feet you might notice that the bridge moves due to it being a suspension bridge which means it is hung by suspension cables. This bridge is a historical bridge which was almost blown up by explosives by the French when they left Syria, although a heroic citizen swam in the Euphrates and removed the explosives without the army realising that.

Image via Wikipedia

Conclusion

This wonderful Suspension Bridge in Der Al Zour which is my hometown in Syria, may not be the world’s most beautiful bridge and may not be one of the wonders of the world but it indeed is a wonderful piece of art that symbolises the city of Der Al Zour as a country which can restore old arts and that appreciates the work of skill .

Talal Al Raddawi