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Leonardo da Vinci planned to build longest bridge in the world in Constantinople

His plans were rejected by the Ottoman Sultan

Newsroom October 11 01:23

Leonardo da Vinci was truly a Renaissance man, impressing both his contemporaries and modern observers with his intricate designs that spanned many disciplines. But although he’s best known for iconic works such as “Mona Lisa” and “Last Supper,” in the early 16th century, da Vinci designed a lesser-known structure: a bridge for the Ottoman Empire that would have been the longest bridge of its time. Had it been built, the bridge would have been incredibly sturdy, according to a new study.

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In 1502, Ottomon ruler Sultan Bayezid II requested proposals for the design of a bridge that would connect Constantinople, what’s today Istanbul, to the neighboring area known as Galata. Da Vinci was among those who sent a letter to the sultan describing a bridge idea.

Though da Vinci was already a well-known artist and inventor, he didn’t get the job, according to a statement from MIT. Now, a group of researchers at MIT has analyzed da Vinci’s design and tested how robust his bridge would have been if it were built.

more at livescience.com

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