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REGIONS

The Dobrogea Region


Fishermen in their boats
on the Danube Delta at Sulina
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (C) 2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

The Dobrogea Region on the Romanian Riviera

 

Distinctly Different!

With almost 80% of it's borders being water, Dobrogea is like Romania's own paradise island.  Entirely separated from the rest of Romania by the wide Danube to the west, the Romanian Riviera is where the sun rises on the European Union each day.

Think of hills, sunshine, fields and beaches, because that is what most of Dobrogea is made up of, with the exception of the lush marshes and reed beds of the Danube Delta.
The first rail bridge across the Danube was completed only in 1895, and Dobrogea was given to Romania in exchange for Bessarabia to the north after Russia defeated the Ottoman empire.
The Ottomans had ruled Dobrogea for over 500 years; the origin of the name is probably from the Turkish despot ruler of the 14th century, Dobrotici.

 Romania's Newest and Oldest

The Greeks and Romans flocked to Dobrogea's fertile hilly plains and abundant sea coasts with both making the region a part of their empires. 

Great works of art are still being uncovered throughout the region and carefully displayed in the excellent museums and archaeological sites all over Dobrogea, from the wonderful National History Museum in Contanţa, to smaller collections at Mangalia, Histria, and Adamclisi.

By the first world war, the Romanians in Dobrogea nearly doubled to 56%,  from less than 20% before the handover in 1878 as the Bulgarians, Turks and Tatars left, now combined making up only 5% today.

Despite most of  gives Dobrogea a history steeped in the rich cultures of the Byzantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman Empires, the Muslim communities persist today along the Romanian Riviera, with mosques built by Romania's first King, Carol I.

Today's capital of the Dobrogea region is Constanţa, named after the daughter of a Roman emperor, one in a long line of rulers since the town's incept as a thriving Greek port city. 

You can see the ruins of these civilisations all through Dobrogea, and at the fine National History Museum in Constanţa too. 
Gateway to the Danube Delta is the town of Tulcea in the far north of Dobrogea, where road and rail lines end and the long arms of the Danube snake their ways to the Black Sea.

 

The Romanian Riviera

Dobrogea's "Venice of the East" at the Danube River town of Sulina was a free port and home to diplomats and a thriving cosmopolitan community for 75 years through Romania's Golden Age until the second world war.

The luxury resort of Carmen Sylva, today called Eforie Sud, also had it's own casino and thriving international community.  From the Royal Palace at Mamaia to the cosmopolitan river town of Tulcea, Romania's Riviera in the 1920s and 1930s was one of Europe's hotspots of culture and leisure.   

Romania's Paradise Province

Dobrogea is a great place for body, mind and spirit.  Laze on the beaches, play some beach soccer, and get tired on the fun rides at most of the resorts. 

Perfect golden sands, the warm clear water, a beach umbrella and the sweet breezes from the Black Sea make for a truly memorable vacation. In fact, Dobrogea is such a well-known hotspot across central and eastern Europe for the beaches of the Romania Riviera, that we've done a special section on Beach Life
 
From the Rest Romania Website at

The Sunbaked Dobrogean Heartland

One of the hidden treasures of Dobrogea is the rich mix of cultures still evident in the sunbaked gently rolling hills of the Dobrogean centre, and the surprising steppe country around the Măcin Mountains National Park in Western County Tulcea

Tatars, Bulgars, Turks, Russians, and German settlers for centuries dominated the low Dobrogean plateau which formed a cultural island, cut off by the Danube from the Wallachian plains to the north and west, and bordered by the Black Sea, conduit for the Greeks and then the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

 

From the Rest Romania Website at
 
The Romanian Beach Umbrella.  Click here to see more of beach life!

Need more info?  Click here to contact us about choosing the right beach holiday vacation spot for you and your family!

Sulina Sfântu Gheorghe Gura Portiţei Mamaia Constanţa Eforie Nord Techirghiol Eforie Sud Costineşti Olimp Neptun Jupiter Saturn Mangalia Doi Mai Vama Veche
 
The Danube European Commission Administration building
and fast sloop on the Danube River at Sulina

 
This customs house and administrative complex at Sulina housed offices of the European Commission before the first World War
 
Photo:  Govt of Romania
Tulcea in County Tulcea

 

The City of Tulcea

 

 Tulcea: Romania's Crescent City

Much like New Orleans, Tulcea rests on a lazy big bend of the Danube River with all of the town's activities and centre right on the river, from the train station, to great hotels, restaurants, clubs and town squares.

With a great downtown area, all of the major attractions and views in Tulcea town are within two blocks of each other, making it quite easy for you to hit the top four or five in an easy morning or afternoon.   From the Tulcea Museum of Art, Azizia Mosque, and Folk Art Museum, to the Village Museum, and even a little beach, Tulcea can easily keep you amused for a day or two as you rest on your way to the Dobrogean hill country to the west, or the Danube Delta to the east. 

 

Tulcea:  Dobrogea's Northern County
One of the most diverse counties in Romania, County Tulcea has arid mountains near Măcin, steppe country, wineries, highland forests, inland lakes and the massive Danube Delta wetlands. See too our City of Tulcea Guide for great sights.
 Click anywhere on the map for more great Rest Romania Guides for Tulcea!
==> The Danube Delta:  Sulina, Crişan, Saint George, Chilia, Mila 23, the Caraorman and Letea Forest Islands ==> Delta Margins:  Beştepe, Murighiol, Mahmudia, Uzlina, Agighiol ==> Southern Tulcea:  Jurilovca, Gura Portiţei, Ostrov ==>  Dobrogean Highlands and Babadag ==> Western Tulcea:  Isaccea, Monasteries, Wine Country, and Măcin Mountain National Park ==> Tulcea:  Romania's Crescent City ==> County Brăila:  The River County of Muntenia ==> Galaţi:  Industrial Capital of Moldova ==> Brăila:  River City and the Little Brăila Forest Islands ==> County Constanţa:  More Popular than Tulcea, but not quite as varied Select the Guide to View!
Image: © REST ROMÂNIA

 
Vibrant Downtown Tulcea
The energy of the river and transfer from land to water makes Tulcea a vibrant centre at the gateway of the Delta

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
River Power at Tulcea Harbour
The "Delta Express" NAVROM high speed river catamaran awaits it's journey downriver.

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 Northern Dobrogea's Capital

Tulcea is in the perfect location for exploration of the widely varying lands laid out to the east, south and west of the city.

The Danube River splits to form the northern Chilia Arm and the southern Tulcea Arm just north of Tulcea.   The main Chilia Arm, which has most of the river's flow, travels out to the Black Sea along the border with the Ukraine.   The southern Tulcea Arm flows south to Tulcea, and after a few short bends, splits again to form the Sulina Arm and the Sfântu Gheorghe Arm.   These 3 main arms are the main transportation by-ways of the Danube Delta, making Tulcea an important hub for the ferries, fast river boats and hydrofoils. 

 

 The Danube Margins

Extending south-east from Tulcea a lone two-lane road trundles towards the Delta, running along the last ground along the St. George Arm.

The City of Tulcea operates as a regional centre and market town for the largely agrarian communities in this Delta Margins area, which collects an assortment of Delta Russian and Lippovan cultures and combines them with the Tatar and Turk remnant populations.    Fishing around Uzlina in particular is nicely accessible from Murighiol.
 

 The Highlands and Steppe

The City of Tulcea is also a highway and rail hub for southern County Tulcea, and the mountainous Western Tulcea region.

Featuring gently rolling hills and wineries within a half hour drive from the Tulcea city centre, the much dryer steppic topography and biogeography of the western portion of County Tulcea offers unique areas where the confluence of Mediterranean, Balcic, and Asiatic zones converge, all accessible from Tulcea City.

 

 Cultural Mecca

Tulcea still has residual traditions from the Turkish days, and pastries in particular can be a very pleasant surprise.  

Comparison shop between a few bakeries until you find the perfect treats.  Take some photos to show the folks back home what REAL baking is like too!  During summer months, Tulcea is a very good town to follow your nose if you're a bit peckish.  Point yourself to the riverfront, and listen for the sizzle of mici at a terasa, and keep your eyes peeled for any flume of telltale brown smoke and steam coming from a traditional little grill. 
The area around Tulcea grow red grapes for table wines, and a bit further to the west upriver, a few white grapes are also grown.  In the region extending down to Babadag, the area around Tulcea along with the more well-known Murfatlar region around Medgidia to the south make up one of Romania's six and most maritime vine growing regions.  Ask at the tourist centre in the ARBDD building about possibly seeing a local grower if you're interested. 

 

 

Western County Tulcea

 

Dobrogea's Wild Wild West!

We actually decided to make a separate guide for the north-west of Dobrogea, mostly because it really is an interesting area, so different from the Delta or the Black Sea Coast!

 This north-western area is less known by tourists than the coastal beaches or the Danube Delta area of Northern Dobrogea.

Almost everyone is surprised to hear how the western Tulcean landscape is so different when compared with the wet and green lands of the Danube Delta!

Have more info? Please Let us know!
Indeed, the most arid and oldest mountains in Romania loom high on the horizon, home to a unique blend of animals and plants, looking more like somewhere in Utah than the better known parts of Romania.
Curiously, tourism officials in the region tend to think that Western County Tulcea is too underdeveloped to support a tourism trade, forgetting that Americans, Australians, Canadians, and other are increasingly doing their vacations by "living like the locals" wherever possible, for that authentic touch of true culture, great photos, and lasting memories.
The Măcin Mountains
The crowning glory of Dobrogea's western lands.

Photo:  Radio Romania

As a tourist, Western County Tulcea can be a deeply rewarding region to explore, precisely because it is seldom travelled by those from outside Romania, despite being so close to the mega-destination of the Danube Delta. 

The most amusing part about this area is that it holds no particular snob-appeal to Romanians, and hence is off their holiday maps for the most part as well.
See Transport & Trip Planning below for Tips on Touring this Region!
Not everyone has time to combine both a seaside and mountain holiday together, but the Măcin Mountains National Park of Western County Tulcea can provide you with those extra experiences and great holiday photos you need to make your friends back home ten shades of green!

 

  The Danube delta

From the Rest Romania Website at
 

 

Photo: joostmg on Webshots
 
Danube Delta Lily
One of the floating beauties in the Delta Biosphere Reserve

 Europe's Riparian Riches

The Delta hosts over 1,200 varieties of plants, 300 species of birds as well as 45 freshwater fish species in its numerous lakes and marshes.

The Danube Delta has been entered onto the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites (1991) and Biosphere reserves. Around 2,733 km˛ of it are strictly protected areas.
This is the place where millions of birds from different places of Earth (European, Asian, African, Mediterranean) come to rest and eat during the migration seasons. Many others hatch here.

The Wildlife Paradise of the Delta

The Danube Delta, "one of the last sanctuaries of nature" is often called the wild paradise. In an area with a surface of 4,200 sq. km, the presence of 3,400 species of the aquatic fauna has been recorded so far, amounting to 98 percent of the European species.

Out of the 280 bird species recorded in the Danube Delta, 177 nest here, some which protected by law: White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Mute Swan, Red Breasted Goose, Ferruginous Duck, Avocet and many other species.

Among the mammals of delta’s ecosystem feature otter, mink, little ermine, wild boar, wild cat, the black-bellied fox, hare, the raccoon dog, nutria, muskrats, and rarely, the grey wolf.

The little plauri, the floating islands of the Delta shelter rich fauna. As a result of efforts by Jacques Cousteau among others, and with UNESCO support, the importance of the Danube Delta as a "wild area" has been recognized in its consecration as a Biosphere Reservation.
 

 

Sulina
 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 

 Where morning starts in the e u!

 
 
Above It All
Having once provided a rather important service, the lighthouse still has it's crystal in the dome and some super views of the surrounding marshes and mudflats. 

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 Where the Sun Rises on the EU!

Dobrogea's eastern-most city, and where the sun rises first on the mainland European Union, the port town of Sulina has a rich history of pirates, as a diplomatic outpost, and was even bombed by the British Navy!

Once a prosperous port and important shipyard, from 1856 to 1937 the seat of the Danube Commission, Sulina has become a peaceful and remote location.
The population at Sulina has been surprisingly static, with 5,600 in 1900 and about 5,200 in 2000.   It has a high population of Lipovani people, who are ethnically more closely related to their relatives to the north in the Ukraine. 

 The Danube European Commission Lighthouse

The Danube European Commission Lighthouse was built in 1869 -1870. The building, 17,34m height, in the shape of a truncated cone, is made of bricks, the binding material is lime mortar and it is plastered up outside and inside.

Have more info? Please Let us know!
The access to the top is ensured by a winding metallic staircase anchored into the masonry. The ground floor has a central hall and two big rooms which are exhibitions' spaces. One of them is hosting the work chamber of Eugeniu P. Botez which pen name is Jean Bart. He was commissary of Sulina harbour and in the First World War he was also military commander. The other room is dedicated to the Danube European Commission.
 

The City of cONSTANŢA

 

Ancient Greek and Roman Constanţa

Don't bother travelling to Athens or Rome if you want to marvel in some amazing European history, because the stunning archaeological finds from Greek and Roman days in Constanţa rivals them all!

As the largest Romanian seaport on the Black Sea, the de facto capital of Dobrogea, and third-largest city in România, Constanţa is a vibrant seaport and regional centre since Greek and Roman times!

 Marseilles on the Black Sea

European royalty have flocked to the fine sands of the Black Sea coast since the early 1900s, when a rail line was built from the Paris of the East, Bucharest to this sunny seaside resort port.

Constanţa has the air of a French seaside town in the 1950s in many ways.  Even at the height of summer, when alot of the residents go to the mountains for a cool break or flock north or south to the adjacent resort towns of Mamaia, Eforie Nord and the resorts further south

You'll enjoy strolling through the old port part of town, complete with a wild mix of mosques, Orthodox churches, a fine old Catholic church, museums, and some attractive ornate architecture. 

The feel of the exotic pull of the Black Sea is strong in Constanţa. In what was once an Ottoman city of mostly ethnic Tatars and Greek citizens, barely 1 in 20 Constanţa residents were Romanian in the mid 1800s (now well over 90% today). 
But because of this culturally rich history, Constanţa offers some architectural and culinary delights to the traveller, from old mosques and some super Turkish, Greek and ethnic Romanian restaurants, to just having an authentic shaorma in the park under a cool shade tree.
Although the Turkish population has always been very low in the city -- never more than 3%, despite the bevy of Turkish restaurants now found in the old port town -- Constanţa has benefitted greatly from it's long history as an Ottoman protectorate.

All this will surely settle the charm of Constanţa in your hearts!

 

 

Mamaia

The Sun and Fun of Mamaia

You can confidently compare Mamaia to the beaches of Cannes or Saint Tropez.  Fringed by wild pear trees, and renowned for its fine, soft sand, Mamaia is Romania's oldest resort.

Mamaia was thoughtfully designed from the ground up since 1906 when the first wooden pier went in, to cater to all whims and desires with the long strip of sand dotted with luxury hotels, fun parks, shops, restaurants, and a promenade running the entire length of the resort with annual summer events for all ages. 
Mamaia concentrates it's fun because of the 300 metre width of the amazing sand bar which separates the large inland Lake Siutghiol from the sea, going north from Constanţa 8km until it meets the mainland again at Năvodari.

The Complete Range

Through major developments throughout the past couple of years, Mamaia has transformed itself into one of the great summer destinations of Europe, with world-class five-star hotels resting comfortably with a dozen 3-star hotels, over 25 two-star properties, and even some great camping on the north end.  There's a reason Romania's royal family chose Mamaia for their seaside summer palace!

Family Friendly Surf

In addition to beautifully low salinity and no strong currents, the Black Sea is free of dangerous species of plants or fish, with a gently sloping shallow coastal shelf, with waters only 1 metre deep at points up to 100 metres out.  This makes Mamaia particularly suitable and safe for families, with beach patrols and fully staffed aqua parks too.
Mamaia

Fun Activities, Maps, seaside Accommodation, Helpful Agents,
    and History from Ottoman to Royal Romanian times!

 

The Northern End at Eforie Nord
Great golden sands and beach boy service for a lazy afternoon with a great view
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

Eforie Nord

 

Relax, It's Eforie Nord!

Quiet little back streets meld effortlessly with a charming promenade and beautiful sea views from the hotels and restaurants along the low cliff which protects the golden sands of Eforie Nord.

Indeed there are quite a few reasons that relaxing little Eforie Nord made our number one pick for your beach holiday.  The sea and beaches are cleaner than at Mamaia, it's close to the shopping centres on the south side of Contanţa, and close enough to rail, air and bus services.
The one possibly saving grace of the Communist era was the lack of heavy tourist development which ravaged many a quite seaside town in other spots throughout Europe during the 1960s and 1970s.  As we all know, some development is a good thing, too much an eyesore.  Eforie successfully maintains it's village feel.

 

Eforie Nord

THE COMBINATION OF AN AFFORDABLE SEASIDE DESTINATION FOR FAMILIES AND COUPLES ALIKE, PAIR WITH TRUE CHARM AND ATMOSPHERE, MAKE EFORIE NORD OUR TOP PICK ON THE ROMANIAN RIVIERA

 A Seaside Holiday Village

Although Eforie Nord is number two after Mamaia in terms of popularity, the little town offers a real Romanian seaside village feel, with year-round residents adding to the town's amenities like easy-to-access grocery stores, chemists and other services not as available in Mamaia's hyper-commercial atmosphere.

The bulk of the holiday accommodation at Eforie (Eforie Nord is often "the" Eforie, with it's southern cousin a smaller centre) is made up of the guesthouses (pensions or "pensiune"), smaller bed and breakfast type accommodation in people's homes, and smaller hotels with less than 20 rooms.  See our Romanian Accommodation section for explanations of these types of properties).
Yes, there are a few of the lower 3 and 4 storey blocks intended for working class holiday-makers on a budget, but equally there are some four-star hotels and truly world-class restaurants.   Check it out, Eforie is a great option for all! 

 

 

Mangalia

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

 Mighty Mangalia!

Mangalia has all of the features you want to find in a seaside city -- and a few more too!  A naval yard and some great beaches make this the mini San Diego of Romania!

South of Constanţa, Mangalia is on the same latitude as the French resort of Nice. Mangalia also is the southernmost city on the Romanian Riviera, and from it's beginnings as the early Greek port city of Callatis, Mangalia is also the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania!
Mangalia's sister city is Greenport, also a coastal village on Long Island in New York

The Pearls of the Romanian Riviera

Gracefully marching south from the trendy and first-class resort of Neptun in the north, down to value-based Saturn on the northern suburbs of Mangalia, the long scenic strip of resorts here make up the "Mangalia Nord" section of the Romanian Riviera.

Mangalia and Resorts

North from Mangalia and Saturn to Olimp, Jupiter and Neptun just below the horizon
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
Mangalia Region Coastal Towns:
Mangalia  Jupiter -  Vâlcelele  Darabani  Albeşti  Vârtop  Hagieni  Arsa  Vama Veche -  Limanu  Doi Mai -  Saturn  Venus  Aurora -  Neptun -  Olimp -  Vânători  Pecineaga  Dulceşti  Moşneni  Comana  General Scărişoreanu  Amzacea  Pelinu 

For other towns in OTHERREGION, please see our OTHERPAGENAME section!

Foreign tourists flock to the spas and resorts just north of Mangalia year-round, and the resort areas feature large, fine-sand beaches.   The microclimates which form at the ends of these beaches are full of adherents who breath in the sea breezes, laden with aerosolised sea water charged by the sun, said to be beneficial for a range of conditions. 

 

From the Rest Romania Website at

Good for What Ails You!

Mangalia is a natural choice for those looking for the curative powers of good hot mineral springs, good hot mud and a great ocean too!

As the third- largest and second-deepest European sea, the Black Sea offers the near perfect combiation of low salinity, a gentle slope of 17-18 degrees along the coastline, and a summer water temperature of 20-25C. There are no dangerous currents, plants or fish in the Black Sea!

The main reason for so much repeat business from European tourists are the great quality of the mineral waters which bubble up from deep below the Black Sea shelf. 

The sulphurous sparkling water, rich in calcium and chlorides are plentiful from northern Mangalia through the beaches of Saturn and Venus.   This treatment is available at the Mangalia Spa, Hotel Mangalia, the hotels Hora and Balada in Saturn, and the Hotel Doina in Neptun.
Have more info? Please Let us know!
The total number of available hotel rooms during the summer season is around 100.000, spread evenly between the resort towns.  The mineral waters are also used in a therapeutic setting at the Hydrotherapy Treatment centre near the Mangalia Municipal Hospital.

Also very popular is the sulphurous peat mud, rich in minerals, which is extracted from the peat bog north of the city (expected to last another 250 years). 

 

 

Dobrogea, Land of the Sun!

Monkey Business at Eforie

People sell bananas on the beach, which can sometimes attract a different type!

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
Fun Boats at Costineşti
Take to the water and paddle about, great fun for an afternoon recovering from the party the night before!

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
The Wines of Dobrogea
Famous names, great grapes!
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (C) 2007 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved.   It may not be used for any purpose without wirtten permission and in accordance with our Terms and Conditions (see links at the base of this page).  Only Agents and Accommodation purchasing full-page packages have limited license to use this photograph. (see Advertising links).
Photo:  webshots

Almost all of Dobrogea's fun activities are centred around getting outdoors and into nature, whether it is via boat in the Danube Delta, hiking through the Măcin Mountains, lazing away a sweet afternoon in the vineyards, or under a beach umbrella.

This vacationland has historically attracted tourists from all over central Europe, and in the Cold War days was the best developed warm spot for those stuck in the chilly years of Stalinism and repression. 
Today, Dobrogea offers the best of the west with the prices of the east, a very happy marriage of comparatively low prices (compared with the Western European Mediterranean hotspots), natural beauty, and well-developed resort complexes (if that is your bag of tea). 

The Coastal Strip

Your main leisure activities along the coast centre on the sun, sea and surf.  Swan boats are fun for young and old, Banana boats (towed by a launch) excite mostly the young as they pound through the surf, and the Aqua park at Mamaia offers a more Disney-fied experience.

Cultural and history buffs will revel in the multitude of museums up and down the coast, from Managalia in the south with their excellent collections of Greek and Roman and later epochs, to the National History Museum at Constanţa, it's branch at the ruins of Histria, and north to Tulcea's great museum,
Ecologically speaking, the jewel in the crown of Dobrogea is surely the Danube Delta's many wildlife and ecology centres.  In Tulcea proper, as well as out in the Delta, you can find all the information and displays you want highlighting this truly unique ecosystem.   See also our special Danube Delta Guide too of course!

Inland Treasures

So many Romanians and tourists alike simply concentrate on getting to the ocean without realising that the inland of Dobrogea, neatly sandwiched between the Black Sea and the Danube River inland, is full of it's own delights.

Hiking (or Bushwalking or Tramping if you prefer) is a key activity in Northern Dobrogea, which can make for some great mornings and afternoon as you view the Danube Delta spread out below you, able to trace it winding from the west to the north and then out to the east and the Black Sea!
You can do this at the fairly recently created Măcin Mountains National Park, a striking zone where the Steppic, Balcanic, Mediterranean and other biogeographical zones meet to make for a surprisingly dry and fascinating landscape, the most arid zone in the northern Balkans.  Looking more like the outback of Nevada with it's low pinion pines than anything particularly associated with Romania, this freak of nature zone shows that Romania is far more varied and interesting topographically than most realise.

Wine Anyone?

Indeed, it's a bit hard to ignore Dobrogea's established wine industry, from the northern Tulcean wineries, to those further south at Murfatlar.  Open mainly to tour groups (although some don't mind a casual drop-in), the fields extend over the hilly Dobrogean plateau, giving the region a distinctly Napa-Sonoma feel, with similar growing conditions. 

See Tasting Notes for Romanian Wines here

Even before the Greeks arrived, viticulture in the region was flourishing, and adopted by successive empires as the Dobrogean sun rose and set through the ages.   The Greeks believed the Dobrogea Region to be where the Elysian Fields were, and  the great light and limey loam soils made for great conditions for grape growing. 
Today with over 26,000 hectares in cultivation, Dobrogea's main wine-growing regions include the low coastal hills at Murfatlar, capable of producing excellent Chardonnays in addition to the more traditional semi-sweet wines; and just to the east of the Măcin Mountains, fine reds are made.  In the Dobrogean Highlands you can find reds too grown near Babadag, as well as more towards the delta to the north-west.

Biking Through Dobrogea

If you enjoy a good cross-country cycle as much as the next bloke, have a go at a trip through Dobrogea.  The northern and western regions can be particularly rewarding in the Spring and Summer months!

For more information on biking, check out the nice guides and suggestions at this Danube region website.  

 

 
From the Rest Romania Website at

Ancient Dobrogea

Roman and Greek Dobrogea

Colonised early by Greek traders, Dobrogea continued it's role as trade bridge between Constantinople and the bounty of the northern Black Sea.
Click on a location to see more!
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (C) 2007 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved.   It may not be used for any purpose without wirtten permission and in accordance with our Terms and Conditions (see links at the base of this page).  Only Agents and Accommodation purchasing full-page packages have limited license to use this photograph. (see Advertising links).
 Panel from the Traian column,
 depicting the surrender of
 King Decebal to the
 Emperor Traian
The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 The Land of Four Empires!

Dobrogea is a veritable treasure trove of from neolithic times, the the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Turkish empires, with the main museums at Tulcea, Istria, Constanţa and Mangalia stuffed full of world-class finds encompassing an extraordinary range of objects, from stone-age art and Byzantine coins, to lavish Ottoman era costumes.

Your main problem in discovering what life was like in ancient and medieval Dobrogea is narrowing down your itinerary to get in as much as you can in the time you have. 

It's a pretty good bet you're going to want to do one of three main activities in Dobrogea in addition to your museological bent.

   Whether you are on the Romanian Riviera from Mamaia to Constanţa for some beach life in the sun; fishing, bird watching or exploring the jungle like forest islands deep in the Danube Delta; or just revelling in nature in the steppe country of the Măcin Mountains National Park, Dobrogea has a dig, an archaeological collection, or a world-class museum close to you!

Some of the highlights:

If you are going to hit just one museum in Romania, and you're in Dobrogea, you gotta hit the National History Museum in the city of Constanţa

 

Ongoing Excavations:

Salvosia and Halmyris near Mahmudia and Murighiol respectively have on-going archaeological work, as does Histria (Istria) and Noviodunum (at Isaccea). 
 

Click on map locations for more information,
or click here for a larger version with more locations!

 

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 Geography

The highest point is in the Ţuţuiatu/Greci Peak in the Măcin Mountains, having a height of 467 m. The Dobrogea Plateau covers most of the Romanian part of Dobrogea, while in the Bulgarian part the Ludogorie Plateau is found. Lake Siutghiol is one of the most important lakes from Dobrogea.
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 Etymology

The origin of the name of Dobrogea could be found in the Turkish rendition of the name of a 14th century ruler, Dobrotich (دوبرجه).

It was common for the Turks to name countries after one of their early rulers (for example, nearby Moldavia was known as Bogdan Iflak by the Turks, named after Bogdan I).
An alternative etymology was given by Gheorghe Brătianu, according to whom, its name is a Slavic derivation from a Turkic word (Bordjan or Brudjars) which referred to the Turkic Proto-Bulgarians, term also used by Arabic writers.  Initially, the name meant just the steppe of the southern region, between Hârşova and Razim Lake in the north and Silistra-Balchik in the south, but eventually, the term was extended to include the northern part and the Danube Delta.

The History of Dobrogea

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ROMANIAN RULE (1878-TODAY)
 2010:  Romanians Invade Romanian Dobrogea
 1947:   Nobody Invades Communist Dobrogea
 1940:  The Second Population Exchange
 1920:  Dobrogea in Romania's Golden Age
 1913:  "Greater Dobrogea"
 1880:  The First Population Exchange
 1878:  Ottoman Dobrogea Divided

OTTOMAN RULE (1420-1878)
 1850:  Immigrants Arrive in Ottoman Dobrogea
 1771:  The Russians Invade Ottoman Dobrogea
 1512:  The Tatars Arrive in Ottoman Dobrogea
 1420:  The Birth of Ottoman Dobrogea
 
WALLACHIAN RULE (1404-1420)
 1404:   Wallachian Dobrogea
 
TURKISH RULE (1387-1404)
 1388:  Wallachians Invade Turkish Dobrogea
 
DOBROTICIAN RULE (1357-1388)
 1357:  The Rise of Dobrotici, Ruler of Dobrogea
 1375:  Dobrotician Dobrogea
SECOND BULGARIAN RULE (1320-1357)
 1320:  Bulgarians Take Control of Dobrogea

 

BYZANTINE RULE (1036-1320)
 1241:  Tatars and Mongols Invade Byzantine Dobrogea
 1094:  The Cumans Invade Byzantine Dobrogea
 1036:  Pechenegs Invade Byzantine Dobrogea

 

FIRST BULGARIAN RULE (895-1036)
 895:  The Hungarians Invade Bulgarian Dobrogea
 
BYZANTINE RULE (580-895)
 580:  The Slavs Attack Byzantine Dobrogea
 330: Byzantine Dobrogea is Born

 

ROMAN RULE (101-580)
 269:  The Goths Attack Roman Dobrogea
 170:  The Sarmatians Attack Roman Dobrogea
 101:  The Dacians Attack Roman Dobrogea

 

GREEK RULE (657BC-101)
 15: The Romans Attack Greek Dobrogea
 200BC:  The Thracians Attack Greek Dobrogea
 500-300BC:  Persians and Odrysians and Scythians!
 657BC:  The Greeks Colonise
 1400-600BC:  Neolithic Dobrogea

Warning:  Serious History Zone Follows!

The Thinker
A great find from the Hamangia culture, now in the National History Museum at Constanţa

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
Neolithic Menhir
Obelix would have been very proud of his brethren on the morning side of Europe with this ancient stone (menhir), on display at the Histria museum

 1400-600BC:  Neolithic Dobrogea

The territory of Dobrogea has been inhabited since Middle and Upper Paleolithic, as the remains at Babadag, Slava Rusă and Enisala prove.

In the Neolithic it was part of the Hamangia culture (named after a village on the Dobrogean coast), Boian culture and Karanovo V culture. At the end of the 5th millennium BC, under the influence of some Aegeo-Mediterranean tribes and cultures, the Gumelniţa culture appeared in the region.

In the Eneolithic, populations migrating from the north of the Black Sea, of the Kurgan culture, mixed with the previous population, creating the Cernavodă I culture.

Under Kurgan II influence, the Cernavodă II culture emerged, and then, through the combination of the Cernavodă I and Ezero cultures, developed the Cernavodă III culture. The region had commercial contacts with the Mediterranean world since the 14th century BC, as a Mycenaean sword discovered at Medgidia proves.

 657BC:  The Greeks Colonise

During the early Iron Age, in the 8th-6th centuries BC the Geto-Dacians individualized from the large Thracian population.

In the second part of the 8th century BC, the first signs of commercial relations between indigenous population and Greeks appeared on the shore of the Sinoe Gulf (now a lake). In 657/656 BC colonists from Miletus founded the first colony in the region - Histria.
In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, more Greek colonies were founded on the Dobrogean coast (Callatis, Tomis, Mesembria, Dionysopolis, Parthenopolis, Aphrodisias, Eumenia etc).
In the 5th century BC these colonies were under the influence of the Delian League, passing in this period from oligarchy to democracy. Also, in the 6th century BC, the first Scythian groups began to enter the region. Two Getae tribes, the Crobyzi and Terizi, were mentioned on the territory of present Dobrogea by Hekataios of Miletus (540-470 BC).
 
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See the museum, exhibits and excavations of Histria here!

 

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 500-300BC:  Persians and Odrysians and Scythians!

From the two years to 512 BC King Darius I of Persia subdued the Geto-Dacians living in the region during his expedition against Scythians living north of the Danube. 

At about 430 BC, the Odrysian kingdom under Sitalkes extended its rule to the mouths of the Danube . In 429 BC, Getae from the region participated in an Odrysian campaign in Macedonia, and under the Odrysian king Seuthes I, 2,000 Getae soldiers fought against Athenian soldiers at Chersones, in southern Crimea.

In the 4th century BC, the Scythians brought Dobrogea under their sway. In 341-339 BC, one of their kings, Atheas fought against Histria, which was supported by a Histrianorum rex (probably a local Getic ruler).

In 339 BC, King Atheas was defeated by the Macedonians under King Philip II, who afterwards extended his rule over Dobrogea.  In 313 BC and again in 310-309 BC the Greek colonies led by Callatis, supported by Antigonus I Monophthalmus, revolted against Macedonian rule. The revolts were suppressed by Lysimachus, the diadochus of Thracia, who also began a military expedition against Dromichaetes, the rulers of the Getae north of the Danube, in 300 BC. In the 3rd century BC, colonies on the Dobrogean coast paid tribute to the basilei Zalmodegikos and Moskon, who probably ruled also northern Dobrogea.
The Histria Excavations, c1938
The early works had already revealed significant boundary structures

Photo:  Govt of Romania
Amphorae and Capitals
Some great finds on proud display contrast the sleek and modern look of the  Histria History Museum

Photo:  Govt of Romania
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 200BC:  The Thracians Attack Greek Dobrogea

In the same century Celts settled in the north of the region. In 260 BC, Byzantion lost the war with Callatis and Histria for the control of Tomis.

At the end of the 3rd century BC and the beginning of the 2nd century BC, the Bastarnae settled in the area of the Danube Delta. Around 200 BC, the Thracian king Zoltes invaded the province several times, but was defeated by Rhemaxos, who became the protector of the Greek colonies.

Around 100 BC King Mithridates VI of Pontus extended his authority over the Greek cities in Dobrogea.

However, in 72-71 BC, during the Third Mithridatic War, these cities were occupied by the Roman proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus.
A foedus was signed between the Greek colonies and the Roman Empire, but in 62-61 BC the colonies revolted. Gaius Antonius Hybrida intervened, but was defeated by Getae and Bastarnae near Histria. After 55 BC the Dacians under King Burebista conquered Dobrogea and all the Greek colonies on the coast, but their rule ended in 44 BC.
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 15: The Romans Attack Greek Dobrogea

In 28/29 BC Rholes, a Getic ruler from southern Dobrogea, supported the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Licinius Crassus, in his action against the Bastarnae.

In turn, Rholes was declared a friend of the Romana people by Octavianus, and helped Crassus in conquering the states of Dapyx (in central Dobrogea) and Zyraxes (in the north of the region). Dobrogea became part of the client kingdom of the Odrysians, while the Greek cities on the coast came under direct rule of the governor of Macedonia.
In 12 AD and 15 AD a Getic army succeeded in conquering the cities of Aegyssus and Troesmis for a short time, but they were defeated by Odrysian king Rhoemetalces with the help of a Roman army.

In 15 AD the Roman province of Moesia was created, but Dobrogea, under the name Ripa Thraciae remained part of the Odrysian kingdom.

The Greek cities on the coast formed Praefectura orae maritimae.

In 46 AD Thracia became a Roman province and the territories of present Dobrogea were absorbed into the province of Moesia.

Between 65 and 70AD, the base of the Roman Danube fleet (classis Flavia Moesica) was moved to Noviodunum. The praefectura was annexed to Moesia in 86 AD. In the same year Domitianus divided Moesia, Dobrogea being included in the eastern part, Moesia Inferior.
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The Traian Column
Celebrating his victory over the Dacians, the ever-humble Emperor Traian had two copies built for the battlefield site, and this one in Rome
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 101:  The Dacians Attack Roman Dobrogea

The Dacians crossed the Danube several times in the 1st century AD to raid and attack, especially between 62 and 70. 

In the winter of 101-102 the Dacian king Decebalus led a coalition of Dacians, Carpians, Sarmatians and Burs in an attack against Moesia Inferior, which included today's Dobrogea.
Istria, 130AD
The Greek Border Outpost of Histria

Image: © REST ROMÂNIA
Tomis in Thracia, c. 395
In the Roman province of Thrace, going from the Danube to Constantinople in the South
The Glykon
Antelope, Human, Snake and Lion in one!  About a half metre tall, and a stunning find at the Constanţa National History Museum!

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA
The invading army was defeated by the Roman legions under emperor Trajan on the Yantra river (later Nicopolis ad Istrum was founded there to commemorate the victory), and again near modern village of Adamclisi, in the southern part of Dobrogea.

The latter victory was commemorated by a monument, built in 109 on the spot and the founding of the city of Tropaeum (now Adamclisi).

After 105, Legio XI Claudia and Legio V Macedonica were moved to Dobrogea, at Durostorum and Troesmis respectively.

 

 170:  The Sarmatians Attack Roman Dobrogea

In 118 the emperor Hadrian intervened in the region to calm a Sarmatian rebellion. In 170 Costoboci invaded Dobrogea, attacking Libida, Ulmetum and Tropaeum.

The province was generally stable and prosperous until the crisis of the Third Century, which led to the weakening of defenses and numerous barbarian invasions.
In 248 a coalition of Goths, Carpians, Taifali, Bastarnae and Hasdingi, led by Argaithus and Guntheric devastated Dobrogea. During the reign of Traianus Decius the province suffered greatly from the attack of Goths under King Cniva.

 

 269:  The Goths Attack Roman Dobrogea

Barbarian attacks followed in 258, 263 and 267. In 269 a fleet of allied Goths, Heruli, Bastarnae and Sarmatians attacked the cities on the coast, devastating Tomis.

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In 272 emperor Aurelianus defeated the Carpians north of the Danube and settled a part of them near Carsium. The same emperor put an end to the crisis in the Roman Empire, thus helping the reconstruction of the province.

 

 280:  The Province of Scythia

During the reign of Diocletianus Dobrogea became a separate province, Scythia, part of the Diocese of Thracia.  Its capital city was Tomis.

Diocletianus was almost a local boy for Dobrogea, as he rose through the ranks starting with responsibility for defending the lower Danube, now all Romanian territory.
In 282, the nearby legions of the upper Danube proclaimed the Praetorian prefect Carus as Emperor, and Diocletianus rode his coattails (or toga tails) to the top, making emperor in 284.  By 298, he had succeeded in repelling intrusions from Dacians and Visigoths from across the Danube, and retired in 305 to grow cabbages.

 

330:  Byzantine Dobrogea is Born

In 330, Constantine the Great moved his capital from Rome to Constantinople.  As Rome was slowly cleaved into eastern and western halves, so Dobrogea became part of the Eastern Roman Empire, or Byzantium. 

Only one year later, Constantine was called from his new capital to defend lowly Dobrogea, and in 331-332 he defeated the Goths who attacked the province.
Dobrogea was devastated again by Ostrogoths in 384-386. Under the emperors Licinius, Julian the Apostate and Valens the cities of the region were repaired or rebuilt.

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 580:  The Slavs Attack Byzantine Dobrogea

After the division of the Roman Empire Dobrogea became part of the  Byzantine Eastern Roman Empire. In 513-520 a revolt against Anastasius I spread to the region.

Its leader, Vitalianus, native of Zaldapa, in Southern Dobrogea, defeated the Byzantine general Hypatius near Kaliakra. During Justin I's rule, Antes and Slavs invaded the region, but they were defeated by Germanus. In 529 a new invasion by Bulgars and Antes was repelled by the Gepid commander Mundus.

Kutrigurs and Avars invaded the region several times, until 561-562, when the Avars under Bayan were settled south of the Danube as foederati.

The Fortress of Callatis
In central Mangalia on the Romanian Rivieria
The Archaeology Museum
Worth an afternoon.  It does rain in Mangalia, and this place is a great "Plan B"!

Contantine IV
Ruler of the Byzantine Eastern Roman province of Thema Scythia
Source:  Wikipedia
Byzantine Dobrogea, c1025
Under Byzantine leader Basil II, Dobrogea was fortified with three ramparts to protect from invading tribes in Wallachia and Moldova
Source:  Wikipedia
Cuman Art Figures
Museum of carved stone art in the museum at Dnepropetrovsk.
Photo:  Petro Vlasenko
During the rule of Mauricius Tiberius, the Slavs devastated Dobrogea, destroying the cities of Dorostolon, Zaldapa and Tropaeum.
In 591-593, Byzantine general Priscus tried to stop invasions, attacking and defeating the Slavs under Ardagast in the north of the province.
In 602 during the mutiny of the Byzantine army in the Balkans, a large mass of Slavs crossed the Danube, settling south of the Danube. Dobrogea remained under loose Byzantine control, and was reorganized during the reign of Constantine IV as Thema Scythia. 
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 895:  The Hungarians Invade Bulgarian Dobrogea

In 681 Dobrogea became part of the First Bulgarian Empire. However, during the following three centuries of Bulgarian domination, Byzantines still controlled the Black Sea coast and the mouths of Danube, and for short periods, even some cities.

At the beginning of the 8th century, Justinian II visited Dobrogea to ask Bulgarian Khan Tervel for military help. In 895, Magyar tribes from Budjak invaded Dobrogea and northeastern Bulgaria. An old Slavic inscription, found at Mircea-Vodă, mentioned Zhupan Dimitri, a local feudal landlord in the south of the region in 943.

On Nicephoros II Phocas demand, Sviatoslav I of Kiev occupied Dobrogea in 968. He also moved the capital of Kievan Rus' to Pereyaslavets, in the north of the region.

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However, Byzantines under John I Tzimisces reconquered it in 971 and included it in the Thema Μεσοποταμια της Δυσεον (Mesopotamia of the West). In 986 the southern part of Dobrogea was included in the Bulgarian state of Samuil, the northern part being reorganized by the Byzantines in an autonomous klimata.
In 1000 Basil II the Bulgar-Slayer reconquered it, organizing the region as Strategia of Dorostolon and, after 1020, as Thema Paristrion (Paradunavon). To prevent mounted attacks from the north, the Byzantines constructed three ramparts from the Black Sea down to the Danube, in the 10th-11th centuries.
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 1036:  Pechenegs Invade Byzantine Dobrogea

Beginning with the 10th century, Byzantines accepted the settling of small groups of Pechenegs in Dobrogea. In the spring of 1036, an invasion of the Pechenegs devastated large parts of the region, destroying the forts at Capidava and Dervent and burning the settlement in Dinogeţia.

In 1046 the Byzantines accepted the settling of Pechenegs under Kegen in Paristrion as foederati. Some form of domination was established by them until 1059, when Isaac I Comnenus reconquered Dobrogea. In 1064, the great invasion of the Uzes affected the region.

In 1072-1074, when Nestor, the new strategus of Paristrion, came to Dristra, he found a ruler in rebellion there, Tatrys.

In 1091, three autonomous, probably Pecheneg, rulers were mentioned in the Alexiad: Tatos or Chalis in the area of Dristra (probably the same as Tatrys), and Sesthlav (Σεσθλάβου) and Satza (Σατζά) in the area of Vicina.
After centuries of fighting the Byzantine Empire, Bulgarians and Hungarians, the Pechenegs were annihilated as an independent force at the Battle of Levounion by a combined Byzantine and Cuman army under Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos in 1091. Attacked again in 1094 by the Cumans, many Pechenegs were slain or absorbed. They were again defeated by the Byzantines at the Battle of Beroia in 1122, on the territory of modern day Bulgaria.
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 1094:  The Cumans Invade Byzantine Dobrogea

Cumans, a Turkic people from the Volga River region north of the Black Sea in a region called Cumania, came in Dobrogea in 1094 and maintained an important role until the advent of the Ottoman Empire.

In alliance with the Wallachians and the Bulgarians during the Vlach-Bulgar Rebellion by brothers Asen and Peter of Tarnovo, the Cumans are believed to have played a significant role in the rebellion's final victory over Byzantium and the restoration of Bulgaria's independence in 1185.
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Dobrogea fell under Cuman rule, as the Cumanian empire expanded to control present-day Wallachia, Moldova and Dobrogea, as well as parts of what is now northern Bulgaria.  

The Cuman influence in the region was so strong that the earliest Wallachian rulers bore Cuman names. The rulers Tihomir and Bassarab I governed territories formerly ruled by local leaders, although the Cuman oligarchy became assimilated through the decades into their principalities.  

Thocomer (or Toq-tämir, Romanised as Tihomer) was the Cuman leader who united Oltenia and Muntenia to form a cohesive Wallachian state, and his son Basarab is considered the first ruler of the united and independent Wallachia.

The Wallachian Cumans then joined forces with the Bulgarians to the south to unite against the Byzantine Empire.   Prince Basarab I later obtained independence from Hungary in the early 1300s.  The name Basarab is considered as being of Cuman origin, meaning "Father King", and the Dobrogean placename of Comană, amongst others, is of Cuman origin.   To the north of Dobrogea today, the counties Galaţi and Vaslui are both Cuman names.

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 1241:  Tatars and Mongols Invade Byzantine Dobrogea

In 1241 the first Tatar groups, under Kadan, invaded Dobrogea starting a century long history of turmoil in the region.

In 1263-1264, Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus gave permission to Sultan Izz al-Din Kaykaus II to settle in the area with a group of Seljuk Turks from Anatolia. A missionary Turkish mystic, Sarı Saltuk, was the spiritual leader of this group; his tomb in Babadag (which was named after him) is still a place of pilgrimage for the Muslims. Most of these Turks returned to Anatolia in 1307, while those who remained became Christianized and adopted the name Gagauz.
In the second part of the thirteenth century, the Turkic-Mongolian Golden Horde Empire, which then included the Cumans, extended its sway over Dobrogea.  The Mongol elite quickly became both Ottoman and Islamic.
 

 

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 1320:  Bulgarians Take Control of Dobrogea

Dobrogea was held by the Second Bulgarian Empire during the reigns of Ivan Asen II and Theodore Svetoslav. In the 1320s it appeared in documents under the name of Principality of Karvuna.

In 1325, the Ecumenical Patriarch nominated a certain Methodius Metropolitan of Varna and Carbona. After this date, a local ruler, Balica, is mentioned in Southern Dobrogea.
In 1346, he supported John V Palaeologus in the dispute for the Byzantine throne with John VI Cantacuzenus by sending an army corps under his son Dobrotici and his brother, Theodore, to help the mother of John Palaeologus, Anna of Savoy. For his bravery, Dobrotici received the title of strategus and married the daughter of megadux Apokaukos.
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After the reconciliation of the two pretenders, a territorial dispute broke out between the Dobrogean State and the Byzantine Empire for the port of Midia. In 1347, on John V Palaeologus' demand, Emir Bahud-din Umur, Bey of Aydin, led a naval expedition against Balica, destroying Dobrogea's seaports. Balica and Theodore died during the confrontations, Dobrotici becoming the new ruler.
 

 1352:  Tatars Take Northern Dobrogea

Between 1352 and 1359, with the fall of Golden Horde rule in Northern Dobrogea, a new state appeared, under Tatar prince Demetrius, who claimed to be the protector of the mouths of the Danube.

The Tatars apparently enjoyed their new northern Dobrogean home, and this was the beginning of almost 550 years of Tatar presence in Dobrogea.   The Tatars survived well in their stubborn enclaves, only being removed during the forced migrations after the Russo-Turkish wars in the late 19th century.   Working side by side in neighbouring villages with Bulgars, Turks, and later, German settlers, the Tatar culture profoundly influenced Dobrogean culture for over 5 centuries. 

 

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 1357:  The Rise of Dobrotici, Ruler of Dobrogea

In 1357 Dobrotici (sometimes "Dobrotiţa" or دوبرجه) was mentioned as a despot ruling over a large territory, including the fortresses of Varna, Kosak (near Obzor) and Emona.

In the same year, with the help of Byzantine emperor John V Palaeologus, he took Anhialos and Mesembria from Ivan Alexander, Tsar of Tarnovo. In 1366, John V Palaeologus visited Rome and Buda, trying to gather support for a campaign in Dobrogea, but on the way home was captured by Dobrotici and was imprisoned at Varna.

A crusade under Amadeus VI of Savoy, supported by Venice and Genoa, was initiated to free the Byzantine Emperor Palaeologus from his Dobrogean seaside prison.  

After the crusaders conquered some Dobrogean forts, Dobrotici freed John and negotiated peace, his daughter marrying the son of John Palaeologus, Michael. In 1368, after the death of Demetrius, he was recognized as ruler by Pangalia and other cities on the right bank of the Danube. In 1369, together with Vladislav I of Wallachia, Dobrotici helped Prince Stratsimir to win back the throne of Vidin.

 

 1375:  Dobrotician Dobrogea

Between 1370 and 1375, allied with Venice, Dobrotici challenged Genoese power in the Black Sea. In 1376, he tried to impose his son-in law, Michael, as Emperor of Trebizond, but achieved no success.

Mircea the Elder
With the help of the Hungarians, the Wallachian prince siezed Dobrogea from the Turks in 1388

Read more about Wallachian prince Mircea the Elder in Wikipedia
Dobrotici supported John V Palaeologus against his son Andronicus IV Palaeologus. In 1379, the Dobrogean fleet participated in the blockade of Constantinople, fighting with the Genoese fleet.  In 1386, Dobrotici died and was succeeded by Ioankos, who in the same year accepted a peace with the Ottoman Sultan Murad I and in 1387 signed a commercial treaty with Genoa.

 

 1388:  Wallachians Invade Turkish Dobrogea

Ioankos was killed in 1388 during the expedition of Grand Vizier Çandarli Ali Pasha against Tarnovo and Dristra (old Durostorum). The expedition brought most of the Dobrogean forts under Turkish rule.

In 1388 to 1389, the Wallachian leader on the other side of the Danube, Mircea the Elder, defeated the Turkish Grand Vizier. This brought Dobrogea and Silistra under the control of the Wallachians for the first time. 

Bayezid I conquered the southern Dobrogea in 1393, attacking Mircea one year later to gain the northern portion held by Mircea, but without success.

In 1395, the Wallachians under Mircea did regain the lost Dobrogean territories for two years, with the help of its Hungarian allies.  Mircea maintained close relations with Sigismund of Luxembourg, the king of Hungary, relying on their common interest in the struggle against Ottoman expansion. But the Hungarian and Wallachian forces failed a second time, pushed back by the Ottomans again in 1397.

 

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 1404:   Wallachian Dobrogea

The third Ottoman occupation of Dobrogea lasted from 1397 to 1404, although in 1401 an Ottoman army was roundly defeated by Mircea in Dobrogea. 

Luck continued for the Wallachians, as the defeat of Sultan Beyazid I the next year opened a period of instability in the Ottoman Empire.  Being a canny Wallachian, Mircea the Elder took advantage of it to organize a new anti-Ottoman campaign: in 1403 he occupied the Genovese fort of Chillia at the mouths of the Danube, thus being able, in 1404, to impose his authority on Dobrogea for the next decade.

Mircea the Elder and his friend the king of Hungary even engaged in battle against the the throne of the Ottoman Empire, ruling for a few years over Dobrogea and much more in the south, up to the Balkan Mountains.

Towards the end of his ruling, Mircea signed a treaty with the Ottomans who recognized the freedom of Wallachia in return for a 3,000 gold pieces per year tribute (a small amount).  After his death in 1418, his son Mihail I fought against the amplified Ottoman attacks, eventually losing his life in a battle in 1420.
That year, the Sultan Mehmet I (portrait on left) personally conducted the definitive conquest of Dobrogea by the Turks. Wallachia kept only the mouths of the Danube, and not for long time.
 

 1420:  The Birth of Ottoman Dobrogea

After defeating the Wallachians in 1420, the region became a Turkish Ottoman province from 1420 until 1878, when the territory was again seized by the Wallachians after the Russo-Turkish Wars.

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Initially, it was organized as an udj (border province), included in the sanjak of Silistra, part of the Vilayet of Rumelia. Later, during Murad II or Suleyman I, the sanjak of Silistra and surrounding territories became a separate Vilayet.
 

 1512:  The Tatars Arrive in Ottoman Dobrogea

Groups of Turks, Arabs and Tatars soon settled in the region, the latter especially between 1512 and 1514. 

In 1555, a revolt led by a certain Mustafa broke out against Ottoman administration and spread all over the region, but was repressed by the beylerbey of Rumelia.
The Sultan and the Cossacks
Sultan Mehmed the IV wrote a letter to the Cossacks telling them to surrender after yet another annoying invasion into Dobrogea.  The Cossacks thought the demand preposterous, and thus composed a rather rude reply letter for the Turkish ruler.   Read more here

Photo:  Russian Museum

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 1771:  The Russians Invade Ottoman Dobrogea

In 1603 and 1612, the region suffered from marauding Cossack forays, who burnt down Isaccea and plundered Constanţa, and between 1771 and 1853, the Russians moved across Dobrogea five times fighting the Turks.

The most violent invasion was that of 1829, which depopulated numerous villages and towns. The Treaty of Adrianople of 1829 ceded the Danube Delta to the Russian Empire. However, Russians were forced to return it to the Ottomans in 1856, after The Crimean War. In 1864 Dobrogea was included in the vilayet of Tuna.

 

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 1850:  Immigrants Arrive in Ottoman Dobrogea

After the initial wave of settlers in the early 1500s, Ottoman Dobrogea saw a second influx of settlers from the late 1700s through to the late 1800s. 

During the reign of Peter I of Russia and Catherine the Great, Lipovans immigrated in the region of the Danube Delta. After the destruction of Zaporozhian Sich in 1775, Cossacks were settled by Turkish authorities in the area north of Lake Razim, but they left Dobrogea in 1828.
In the second part of the nineteenth century, Ruthenians from the Austrian Empire also settled in the Danube Delta. After the Crimean War, a large number of Tatars were forcibly driven away from Crimea, immigrating to then-Ottoman Dobrogea and settling mainly in the Carasu Valley in the centre of the region and around Babadag.
Dobrogean Ethnicity, 1861-2007
From around 20% before the Russo-Turkish war to over 50% before the First World War, Dobrogea's Romanian population soared.  It is over 90% today.

Image: © REST ROMÂNIA

Dobrogea Ethnicities, 1903
Even after relocations and 25 years of Romanian rule, Dobrogea was still 45% non-Romanian ethnicity

Source:  Wikipedia
In 1864, Cherkess fleeing from the Russian invasion of the Caucasus were settled in the wooded region near Babadag. Germans from Bessarabia also founded colonies in Dobrogea between 1840 and 1892.  According to Bulgarian historian Liubomir Miletich, most Bulgarians living in Northern Dobrogea in 1900 were nineteenth century settlers or their descendants .

 

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 1878:  Ottoman Dobrogea Divided

After the 1878 war between Russia and the Ottoman empire, victorious Russia gained control of Northern Dobrogea.  Romanian had sided with the Russians, who forced Romania to give away Southern Bessarabia in exchange for Dobrogea.

Dobrogea was now split between the Russian controlled northern Dobrogea area, and the new Bulgarian republic to the south, now for the first time since the Second Bulgarian empire, free from Ottoman control.   According to the post-war settlement, the Bulgaria was given the smaller "quadrilater" portion of southern Dobrogea -- which although ceded to Romania for 20 years in the last century, remains today in Bulgaria.

 1880:  The First Population Exchange

  Most of Dobrogea's population was Turkish and Tatars before the war, but during the war the largest part of the Muslim population emigrated to Turkey and Bulgaria.  After the war, Bulgaria and Romania instituted programs of forced migration, to give each of the new owners of the split Dobrogea a majority ethnic population.

Ethnic Romanians (many of them shepherds from or with families previously from the Carpathian mountains) were moved into the northern partition, and Bulgarians (and most others also encouraged) to move south across the new border.

Romanian Dobrogea increased it's ethnic Romanian population from less than 20% before the war (1861 estimated at 17%), to over half by 1913. 

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The size of the Bulgarian ethnic enclaves in the northwest (around Babadag) dwindled, as well as the Muslim communities spread all across the newly Romanian portion of Dobrogea.  After 1880, Italians from Friuli and Veneto settled in Greci, Cataloi and Măcin in Northern Dobrogea, further diluting the pre-war Muslim majority. Most of them worked in the granite quarries in the Măcin Mountains, while some became farmers.

 

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 1913:  "Greater Dobrogea"

Between 1913 and 1938, Romania's portion of the old Ottoman Dobrogea varied from barely half immediately after the Russo-Turkish war, to nearly all of pre-war Turkish Dobrogea. 

In May 1913, the Great Powers awarded Silistra and the area in a 3 km radius around it to Romania, at the Saint Petersburg Conference. In August 1913, after the Second Balkan War, Bulgaria lost Southern Dobrogea (the Quadrilater) to Romania in the Treaty of Bucharest.  This was the greatest extent of Romania's control of the region.
With Romania's entry in World War I on the side of France and Russia, the Central Powers occupied all of Dobrogea and gave Southern Dobrogea as well as the southern portion of Northern Dobrogea to Bulgaria in the Treaty of Bucharest of 1918. This situation lasted only for a short period, as the Allied Powers emerged victorious at the end of the war and Romania regained its previous territories in the Treaty of Neuilly of 1919.
Interbellum Street Scene, c.1922

Antonescu and Hitler, 1943
Hitler being briefed by Romania's top general and ally, Gen'l Antonescu during WWII

 
Ceauşescu Grins, People Starve
Yet more of the dictator's ludicrous propaganda in a street poster in 1986

The 1989 Revolution
Romanians had enough of the hunger, waiting in lines, and general idiocy of the Communist regime, here in Bucharest

 

Source:  Wikipedia

 

 1920:  Dobrogea in Romania's Golden Age

In the interbellum years, Dobrogea became a truly European province after 3 decades of Romanian rule.   The seaside resort of Carmen Sylva (now Eforie Sud) was luxurious and famous throughout Europe, and the port city of Sulina was home to an elite international community of diplomats and high culture.

Throughout the early interwar period, the exodus of non-Romanians continued, dramatically increasing the Romanian portion of the population from 29% in 1903, to over half at the end of the 1930s.  To further increase the appearance of being fully Romanian, King Carol II approved the immigration of over 30,000 Aromanians from Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece, directed to settlein Southern Dobrogea.  

At the same time, the Romanian King's counterpart in Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was actively encouraging the repatriation en masse of the Dobrogean Turks to the new Turkish Republic.

Ports in the north of Dobrogea at Sulina and Tulcea were modernised, greatly increasing their capacity to handle cargo and warehousing for the Danube River trade.  Constanţa remained the chief Black Sea port, albeit with falling trade as it's fate was inexorably linked to the instability around the Bosphorus and straights of the Dardanelles to the south. 

 

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 1940:  The Second Population Exchange

In the autumn of 1940, the Nazis and other Axis power parties forged the Treat of Craiova, which once again split Dobrogea, giving the quadrilater back to Bulgaria.

 Rather ridiculously, this only caused a second exchange of populations.   The Romanians, who had made the rather tragic decision to side with the Nazis, really wanted the territory south to the Balchik enclave, but the Axis powers were resolute that things revert to the pre-1913 borders.

 So, after 27 years under Romanian control, Dobrogea was split one final time, and again a massive exodus of Romanians from the south headed north across the newly redrawn border. 

And similarly, the Bulgars, Tatars and others who remained in the Romanian portion of Dobrogea, were cruelly forced to leave their homes to even out the numbers.   The 1940 borders were reaffirmed in the post-war Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 and are in place to this day.

 

1947:   Nobody Invades Communist Dobrogea

Communist Dobrogea was a predictably grim place, with it's own labour camps and torture facilities to make sure dissidents and people attempting to leave the country were properly dealt with (usually no trial and an "administrative" sentence).  

Ethnic Tatars, Bulgars, Turks and others were particularly singled out for the attentions of the state security apparatus, and life was miserable, paranoic and hard for all.   Sparse partisan resistance in the first 5 years of communist rule, mostly by the Babadag Bandits in northern Dobrogea (an area with a higher Bulgar, Russian and German settler populations), proved ineffective and yet another excuse for a cruel crackdown on ethnic communities.

Ethnic groups in Dobrogea, as even with the Romanian Orthodox Church, were controlled by the Department of Cults and were subject to strict regulations.

Churches could not engage in any religious activity outside officially designated religious buildings. Severe restrictions limited the printing and import of the Koran, Bibles and all religious books and materials, and their distribution was treated as a criminal offense.
Although some construction work on the new hotels at Mamaia and the youth camp at Costineşti did provide a glimmer of higher standards, for the most part, central Dobrogea remained a dire collectivised agrarian zone. 

 Peasants were forced into their regional collectives early in Dobrogea, so that by 1955, it was the most collectivised zone in all of Romania. 

This inevitably resulted in the willful destruction of the village working structures and economies, and gave the people on the land no choice but to seek food and shelter in the cities of Dobrogea. 
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The hideous "Canal of the Dead" was the communist administration's crazed attempt to join the Danube with the Black Sea going across from Giurgeni to Navodări.  The region was clearly too hilly, and the dumb and mad project was finally abandoned in 1955.  Thousands died and the first canal project failed.    A more sane route was finally chosen in 1975, and work on today's canal -- again with forced labour -- at least succeeded to make it to the sea in 1984.  
Relief from the tyranny of the state did not come to Dobrogea until the 1989 execution of Ceaşescu in a hasty show trial.  
 
The Danube-Black Sea Canal
Today cutting journey times and with modern control structures, few realise the sad price paid in human lives for this engineering marvel.

The photo immediately preceding this notice is Copyright (c)2005 - 2008 Rest Romania SRL, All rights reserved. Photo: © REST ROMÂNIA

 

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 2010:  Romanians Invade Romanian Dobrogea

Today, every summer, yet more Romanians invade the sunny coastline to spend their summer holidays, few aware of how violently the sands of time have shifted across this island of rich history and cultures.

 Romanian Dobrogea, where only one out of four people were ethnic Romanians before the territory was given to Romania in 1878, is today more than 90% Romanian.  And yet the greatly reduced enclaves of Bulgars, Tatars, Turks, Greeks, Lipovani and others, stubborn hold on to their remaining islands of culture, vestiges of a previous century. 

The mosques are still there, at Medgidia, Constanţa, Babadag, Mangalia and Isaccea amongst other places, and still attract the faithful to Friday prayers. 

A recent influx of Arab students has even seen the establishment of new prayer houses to serve the nascent new Islamic communities in Constanţa and in Bucharest. 

 

 
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