<p>Located at the central highlands of Afghanistan, the bridge is more than 3,000 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest large natural bridges in the world. <br /><br />"It's one of the most spectacular discoveries ever made in this region," said Joe Walston, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia Program. <br /><br />"The arch is emblematic of the natural marvels that still await discovery in Afghanistan," Walston added.<br /><br />Wildlife Conservation Society staffers Christopher Shank and Ayub Alavi discovered the massive arch in late 2010 in the course of surveying the northern edge of the Bamyan plateau for wildlife - the landscape is home to ibex and urial wild sheep - and visiting local communities, according to a Wildlife Conservation statement.<br /><br />After making the discovery, they returned to the Hazarchishma Natural Bridge (named after a nearby village) in February 2011 to take accurate measures of the natural wonder. <br /><br />The total span of the arch -- the measurement by which natural bridges are ranked -- is 210.6 feet in width, making it the 12th largest natural bridge in the world. <br /><br />The world's largest natural arch -- Fairy Bridge -- is located by Buliu river in Guangxi, China, and spans a staggering 400 feet in width. Several of the top 20 largest natural arches are located in the state of Utah in the US.<br /><br />Consisting of rock layers formed between the Jurassic Period (200-145 million years ago) and the more recent Eocene Epoch (55-34 million years ago), the Hazarchishma Bridge was carved over millennia by the once flowing waters of the now dry Jawzari Canyon.<br /></p>
<p>Located at the central highlands of Afghanistan, the bridge is more than 3,000 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest large natural bridges in the world. <br /><br />"It's one of the most spectacular discoveries ever made in this region," said Joe Walston, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia Program. <br /><br />"The arch is emblematic of the natural marvels that still await discovery in Afghanistan," Walston added.<br /><br />Wildlife Conservation Society staffers Christopher Shank and Ayub Alavi discovered the massive arch in late 2010 in the course of surveying the northern edge of the Bamyan plateau for wildlife - the landscape is home to ibex and urial wild sheep - and visiting local communities, according to a Wildlife Conservation statement.<br /><br />After making the discovery, they returned to the Hazarchishma Natural Bridge (named after a nearby village) in February 2011 to take accurate measures of the natural wonder. <br /><br />The total span of the arch -- the measurement by which natural bridges are ranked -- is 210.6 feet in width, making it the 12th largest natural bridge in the world. <br /><br />The world's largest natural arch -- Fairy Bridge -- is located by Buliu river in Guangxi, China, and spans a staggering 400 feet in width. Several of the top 20 largest natural arches are located in the state of Utah in the US.<br /><br />Consisting of rock layers formed between the Jurassic Period (200-145 million years ago) and the more recent Eocene Epoch (55-34 million years ago), the Hazarchishma Bridge was carved over millennia by the once flowing waters of the now dry Jawzari Canyon.<br /></p>