Bridge of Pasha near Kokkinia
The Bridge of Pasha, probably the oldest stone bridge in Western Macedonia, is located at the boundary between Grevena and Kozani, near the village of Kokkinia. It was built around 1806 beneath Via Egnatia, where only the river and the local crossings once dominated the landscape. Surrounded by old legends, according to one version of which, it resembles the Bridge of Arta; according to a different myth, it had been built years earlier by Mahmud Pasha as a vow for the salvation of his wife from drowning after she fell into the troubled waters of the Aliakmon River. The bridge connected Grevena with Kozani, opening the road towards the borders. It reached 100 metres in length and had imposing arches — today, six large arches survive, along with four smaller ones. In the main arch there once hung a kypri, the small bell that warned of strong winds and swollen waters. It was blown up in April 1941, by the British in order to stop the advance of the Germans. Today, only parts of it remain, though they are enough to reveal its former grandeur.
