Most na Moštanici

Sigurnih istorijskih podataka o dobu njegove gradnje nema, ali mnogi naučnici smatraju da je djelo rimske mostogradnje te da potiče još iz 3. vijeka. U prilog tome da je ovdje za vrijeme Rimljana postojao most, ide i njegov položaj, kao i to da se u njegovoj okolini i danas može pronaći rimski novac i da je takođe u njegovoj okolini postojalo naselje od kojeg danas postoje jedva vidljivi temelji pojedinih objekata.

Protivno ovoj tvrdnji govore stećci koji su ugrađeni pri samom dnu stubova. Na osnovu navedenog, može se zaključiti da je ovdje postojao most i u vrijeme vladavine Rima, kao i kasnije, ali da je on zubom vremena rušen i popravljan i na njegovoj osnovi popravkama i doziđivanjem ugrađivan novi materijal, pa se ugradnja stećaka u most može svrstati u doba Turaka, jer su se stećci u to vrijeme i najviše koristili kao građevinski materijal.

U knjizi Petra Šobajića Nikšić sa okolinom koja je izdata 1904. godine, nalazi se fotografija mosta koji je tada bio u potpunosti očuvan i ta slika je koristila kao glavni osnov za restauraciju mosta arhitekti Đorđiju Minjeviću 1957. godine. Desetak koraka od mosta ka crkvi nalaze se zanimljiva „sjedala”, što su ih, po predanju, Rimljani uklesali u polukružno raspoređene stijene. Tu su glavari nekadašnje varoši, u Moštanici, vijećali u rimskom, vizantijskom i turskom carstvu.

Po oslobođenju od Turaka, polje oko Rimskog mosta je, kako piše Petar Šobajić u knjizi Nikšić‐Onogošt, uzorano i izgubio se trag građevina, pa se o njima može slutiti samo po gomilama tesanog kamena po njivama. Tragovi grada su odolijevali sve do kraja XIX vijeka, kada su mještani Maksimu Šobajiću pokazali temelje dvije kule. 

Tokom vremena most je bio više puta rušen i popravljan. Arhitektura mosta je tipično rimska. Most je sagrađen od tesane sige pravilnog oblika. Kameni blokovi spajani su debljim slojem maltera, u kome su pronađeni tragovi istucane cigle i kostreti. Most je i dan danas u funkciji kao pješački, a dozvoljen je prelaz lakšim vozilima.

Kulturno dobro most na Moštanici se nalazi u naselju Velika Moštanica. Dužina mosta je 22 m.

The Bridge on the River Mostanica

The bridge on the River Mostanica is the oldest preserved bridge in Montenegro. There are indications that it was located on the Roman road that led from Epidaurus over Risan, Grahovo, Rijecani and Niksic via Skadar.

There are no precise historical data of the time of its construction, but many scientists believe that it is the work of the Roman bridge construction and dates back to the 3rd century. Its position, the fact that Roman coins can even today be found in its surroundings and that there was a village, of which barely visible foundations of some buildings still exist, support this claim.

Medieval tombstones, embedded in the bottom of the columns, speak contrary to this. Based on the above-said, it could be concluded that there was a bridge here at the Roman times, as well as during the later period, but the ravages of time destroyed it. While it was repaired the new materials were built in its foundations so the building-in of the tombstones can be set in the Turkish times, because at the period the tombstones were mostly used as a building material.

In the book of Petar Sobajic “Niksic with the Environment”, which was issued in 1904, there is a photo of the fully preserved bridge, and this photo is used as the main basis for the bridge restoration for the architect Djordje Minjevic in 1957. At about ten paces from the bridge to the church there are interesting "seats", which were, according to the tradition, carved by the Romans into the U arranged rocks. It is a place where heads of the former borough, at the Mostanica River, deliberated at the times of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire.

After liberation from the Turks, the area around the Roman bridge was, as it was written in the book of Peter Sobajic “Niksic-Onogost”, plowed and all the traces of the buildings were lost, and only piles of hewn stones in the meadows give evidence of their existence. Traces of the city resisted until the end of the nineteenth century, when the locals showed to Maksim Sobajic the foundations of two towers

Over the time, the bridge was repeatedly destroyed and repaired. The architecture of the bridge is typically Roman. The bridge was built of hewn siga stone with regular shape. The stone blocks were joined by a thick layer of mortar, in which traces of triturated bricks and goat's hair were found. The bridge is still operating as a pedestrian bridge, and lighter vehicles are allowed to pass.

The cultural property bridge on the River Mostanica is located in Velika Mostanica. The bridge is 22m long.