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Carrying Lermontovsky Prospekt across the Fontanka River, the Egyptian Bridge was St. Petersburg's first metal bridge, and one of eight chain suspension bridges erected in the city in the 1820s. The original bridge collapsed in 1905, and was not replaced until 1955. Fortunately, Pavel Sokolov's four fine cast iron sphinxes were unharmed, and still guard the approaches to the bridge. The Egyptian motif, a typical 19th Century conceit, has been preserved in numerous charming details, including the hieroglyph-embossed obelisks at each corner of the bridge.
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