The Three-Arched Bridge

novel by Kadare

Also known as: “Ura me tri harqe”

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July 23, 2026

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The Three-Arched Bridge (1978) by Ismail Kadare is set in medieval Albania during the Ottoman expansion. The novel uses the construction of a bridge as an allegory for modernization imposed upon a traditional society.1

The bridge symbolizes progress, but its completion is achieved through coercion, sacrifice, and the suppression of local opposition. Drawing on Balkan legends, the story incorporates the motif of human sacrifice, where the bridge's collapse is prevented by the live entombment of a local worker. This narrative explores themes prevalent in Kadare's work, such as Albanian history, folklore, and the impact of external forces on traditional ways of life.12

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Ismail Kadare
Fiction
…Ura me tri harqe (1978; The Three-Arched Bridge), is set in medieval Albania, during the Ottoman expansion, and uses the construction of a bridge as an allegory of modernization imposed on a traditional society. The bridge comes to represent progress, but its completion depends on coercion, sacrifice, and the silencing…
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…Ura me tri harqe (1978; The Three-Arched Bridge), is set in medieval Albania, during the Ottoman expansion, and uses the construction of a bridge as an allegory of modernization imposed on a traditional society. The bridge comes to represent progress, but its completion depends on coercion, sacrifice, and the silencing…
Read More