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86-538: When designated as a trunk route, in the early 1960s, this was the shortest road between Bucharest and Constanta, as, at that time, there were no road bridges connecting Dobrudja with the rest of Romania (the King Carol I Bridge at Cernavodă being rail only). As road bridges over the Danube were constructed, the first one in 1970 at Giurgeni – Vadu Oii , and the second one at Fetești – Cernavodă ( Cernavodă Bridge ) in

172-617: A Getic ruler from Southern Dobruja, supported the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Licinius Crassus , in his action against the Bastarnae. Declared friend and ally of the Roman people by Octavian , Rholes helped Crassus in conquering the states of Dapyx (in central Dobruja) and Zyraxes (in the north of the region). Dobruja became part of the client kingdom of the Odrysians , while the Greek cities on

258-630: A Byzantine army commanded by Theodorokanos reconquered the whole of Dobruja, organizing the region as the Strategia of Dorostolon and, after 1020, as Paristrion (Paradounavon). 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. According to Bulgarian archaeologists and historians, these fortifications may have been built much earlier and were erected by

344-473: A century long history of turmoil in the region. Around 1263–64, Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus gave permission to Sultan 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 Muslims. Arab chronicles of

430-569: A dry barren land; it has been explained as expressing the point of view of Ruthenes , who considered the Danube delta in the northern Dobruja as a significant improvement over the steppes to the North. I. A. Nazarettean combines the Slavic word with the Tatar budjak ("corner"), thus proposing the etymology "good corner". A version matching contemporaneous descriptions was suggested by Kanitz , who associated

516-524: A feeder to A2. Between Ostrov and Constanta, the road provides a vital link between southwestern Dobrudja and the rest of the country. However, as southwestern Dobrudja is sparsely populated, with no notable towns or cities (Ostrov being the biggest, at slightly over 5000 inhabitants), that stretch of the road is sparsely used as well. DN3 connects with the Bulgarian road network through a border crossing facility at Ostrov – Silistra (Bulgaria), immediately after

602-513: A fleet of allied Goths, Heruli , Bastarnae and Sarmatians attacked the cities on the coast, including Tomis. In 272 Aurelian 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. During the reign of Diocletian , Dobruja was organized administratively as

688-699: A mound in the middle of the distance between Pliska and his new building, according to his inscription kept in SS. Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo . The location of this edifice is unclear; the main theories place it at Silistra or at Păcuiul lui Soare . Many early medieval Bulgar stone inscriptions were found in Dobruja, including historical narratives, inventories of armament or buildings, and commemorative texts. During this period Silistra became an important Bulgarian ecclesiastical centre—an episcopate after 865 and seat of

774-456: A peace agreement. Dobrotitsa's role in this conflict brought him numerous political advantages: his daughter married one of John V's sons, Michael, and his principality extended its control over some of the forts lost by the Bulgarians ( Anchialos and Mesembria ). In 1368, after the death of prince Demetrius, Dobrotitsa was recognised as ruler by Pangalia and other cities on the right bank of

860-511: A population of 65,624 with a majority of Romanians (74.83%) with minorities of Lipovans (1.9%), Roma (1.57%), Turks (0.67%), Ukrainians (0.42%), Greeks (0.27%), Bulgarians (0.03%), others (0.38%) and unknown (19.93%). At the 2011 census Tulcea had a population of 73,707 with a majority of Romanians (83.37%) with minorities of Lipovans (2.36%), Roma (1.29%), Turks (1.11%), Ukrainians (0.51%), Greeks (0.28%), Bulgarians (0.02%), others (0.53%) and unknown (10.53%). Most of

946-599: A proof of Byzantine presence, date in Kaliakra from the time of Emperor Justin II (565–578), in Varna from the time of Emperor Heraclius (610–641), and in Tomis from Constantine IV 's rule (668–685). At the beginning of the 8th century, Justinian II visited Dobruja to ask Bulgarian Khan Tervel for military help. Khan Omurtag (815–831) built a "glorious home on the Danube" and erected

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1032-552: A separate province, called Scythia , part of the Diocese of Thracia. Its capital city was Tomis. Diocletian created Legio II Herculia and Legio I Iovia and installed them at Troesmis and Noviodunum respectively. In 331–332 Constantine the Great defeated the Goths who attacked the province. But Dobruja was devastated again by Ostrogoths in 384–386. Under the Roman emperors Licinius , Julian

1118-622: Is a geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania . It is situated between the lower Danube River and the Black Sea , and includes the Danube Delta , the Romanian coast, and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast . The territory of Dobruja is made up of Northern Dobruja , which

1204-449: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Dobrudja Dobruja or Dobrudja ( US : / ˈ d oʊ b r ʊ dʒ ə / ; Bulgarian : Добруджа , romanized :  Dobrudzha or Dobrudža ; Romanian : Dobrogea , pronounced [ˈdobrodʒe̯a] or [doˈbrodʒe̯a] ; Ukrainian : Задунав'я , romanized :  Zadunav"ya ; Turkish : Dobruca ; Dobrujan Tatar : Tomrîğa )

1290-420: Is a part of Romania, and Southern Dobruja , which is a part of Bulgaria. The territory of the Romanian region Dobrogea is organised as the counties of Constanța and Tulcea , with a combined area of 15,588 km (6,019 sq mi) and, as of 2021 , a population of slightly less than 850,000. Its main cities are Constanța , Tulcea , Medgidia , and Mangalia . Dobrogea is represented by dolphins in

1376-525: Is found in Strabo 's early Geography (1st century AD). The Greeks thus apparently distinguished it from Scythia Major , which lay north of the Danube delta. Around 100 BC King Mithridates VI of Pontus extended his authority over the Greek cities in Dobruja. However, in 72–71 BC, during the Third Mithridatic War , these cities were occupied by the forces of Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus ,

1462-572: Is found in Bulgaria. Lake Razelm is one of the most important lakes in Northern Dobruja. Dobruja lies in the temperate continental climatic area; the local climate is determined by the influx of oceanic air from the northwest and northeast and continental air from the East European Plain . Dobruja's relatively level terrain and its bare location facilitate the influx of humid, warm air in

1548-575: Is the administrative center of Tulcea County , and had a population of 65,624 as of 2021 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. It is one of six Romanian county seats lying on the Danube river . The city is known in Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian as Тулча, romanized : Tulcha ; in Greek as Αιγισσός, romanized : Aigissós ; in Hungarian as Tulcsa ; and in Turkish as Tulça . Tulcea

1634-412: Is transitional between continental and temperate ( Köppen : Dfa/Cfa ), with cold winters and hot summers. Daily minimum temperatures drop below 0 °C (32 °F) for roughly 79.5 days per year from October to April, with 17.2 days where the daily maximum temperature is also below 0 °C (32 °F). Snow cover, on average, is observed for 27.6 days per year. At the 2021 census Tulcea had

1720-679: The Battle of Ongala , Dobruja became part of the First Bulgarian Empire . Shortly after, the Bulgar founded the city of Pliska , which became the first Bulgarian capital, near the southern border of Dobruja. They rebuilt Madara as a major Bulgar pagan religious centre. According to the Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle , from the 11th century, Bulgarian Tsar Ispor "accepted the Bulgarian tsardom", created "great cities, Drastar on

1806-634: The Ecumenical Patriarch nominated Methodius as Metropolitan of Varna and Carvona. After this date, Balik/Balica is mentioned as a local ruler in Southern Dobruja. In 1346, he supported John V Palaeologus in his dispute for the Byzantine throne with John VI Cantacuzenus . He sent an army corps under his son Dobrotitsa/Dobrotici and his brother, Theodore, to help the mother of John Palaeologus, Anna of Savoy. For his bravery, Dobrotitsa received

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1892-654: The Getae 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 . In the 4th century BC, the Scythians brought Dobruja under their sway. In 341–339 BC, one of their kings, Atheas , fought against Histria, which

1978-784: 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. Through the combination of the Cernavodă I and Ezero culture , the Cernavodă III culture developed. The region had commercial contact with

2064-572: The Roman proconsul of Macedonia . A foedus was signed between the Greek colonies and the Roman Republic, but in 62–61 BC the colonies revolted. Gaius Antonius Hybrida intervened, but was defeated by Getae and Bastarnae at the Battle of Histria . After 55 BC the Dacian Kingdom under King Burebista conquered Dobruja and all the Greek colonies on the coast. In 28/29 BC Rholes ,

2150-522: The Roman Danube fleet ( classis Flavia Moesica ) was moved to Noviodunum . The praefectura was annexed to Moesia in 86  AD. In the same year Domitian divided Moesia, Dobruja being included in the eastern part, Moesia Inferior . 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. The invading army

2236-436: The coat of arms of Romania . The Bulgarian region Dobrudzha is divided among the provinces of Dobrich and Silistra ; the following villages of Razgrad Province : Konevo, Rainino, Terter and Madrevo; and the village General Kantardzhievo ( Varna ). The region has a total area of 7,566 km (2,921 sq mi), with a combined population as of 2021 of some 250,000 people. The main towns are Dobrich and Silistra ,

2322-503: The diadochus of Thrace , who also began a military expedition against Dromichaetes , the ruler of the Getae north of the Danube, in 300 BC. In the 3rd century BC, colonies on the Dobrujan coast paid tribute to the basilei Zalmodegikos and Moskon , who probably also ruled northern Dobruja. In the same century, Celts settled in the north of the region. In 260  BC, Byzantion lost

2408-422: The earliest Slavic settlements to the south of Danube have been discovered in Dobruja, near the villages of Popina , Garvăn and Nova Cherna . They have been dated to the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th centuries. These lands became the main zone of compact Bulgar settlement in the end of the 7th century. According to the peace treaty of 681, signed after the Bulgarian victory over Byzantines in

2494-699: The 13th century mentioned Dobrogea under the name "Şakji" and the Vlachs inhabitants under the names "al-Awalak" and "ulaqut". In 1265, the Bulgarian Emperor Constantine Tikh Asen hired 20,000 Tatars to cross the Danube and attack Byzantine Thrace . On their way back, the Tatars forced most of the Seljuk Turks, including their chief Sarı Saltuk, to resettle in Kipchak (Cumania). In the second part of

2580-546: The 13th century, the Turco–Mongolian Golden Horde Empire continuously raided and plundered Dobruja. The inability of the Bulgarian authorities to cope with the numerous raids became the main reason for the uprising, led by Ivailo (1277–1280), that broke out in eastern Bulgaria. Ivailo's army defeated the Tatars, who were forced to leave the Bulgarian territory; he next outed Constantine Tikh's army, and Ivailo has crowned Emperor of Bulgaria. The war with

2666-452: The 17th century, the region was referred to in more accounts, with renditions such as Dobrucia , Dobrutcha , Dobrus , Dobruccia , Dobroudja , Dobrudscha , and others being used by foreign authors. Initially, the name meant just the steppe of the southern region, between the forests around Babadag in the north and the Silistra – Dobrich – Balchik line in the south. Eventually, the term

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2752-556: The 5th century BC these colonies were under the influence of the Delian League , passing in this period from oligarchy to democracy . In the 6th century BC, the first Scythian groups began to enter the region. Two Getic tribes, the Crobyzi and Terizi , and the town of Orgame ( Argamum ) were mentioned on the territory of present Dobruja by Hekataios of Miletus (540–470 BC). In 514/512 BC King Darius I of Persia subdued

2838-603: The Apostate , and Valens , the cities of the region were repaired or rebuilt. After the division of the Roman Empire , Dobruja was absorbed into the Eastern Roman Empire . Between 513 and 520, the region participated in a revolt against Anastasius I . Its leader, Vitalian , native of Zaldapa in Southern Dobruja, defeated the Byzantine general Hypatius near Kaliakra . During Justin I 's rule, Antes and Slavs invaded

2924-488: The Bulgarian Patriarch at the end of the 10th century. In 895, Magyar tribes from Budjak invaded Dobruja and northeastern Bulgaria. An old Slavic inscription, found at Mircea Vodă , mentions Zhupan Dimitri (Дѣимитрѣ жѹпанѣ), a local feudal landlord prominent in the south of the region in 943. With financial encouragement from the Byzantine emperor, Nikephoros II Phocas , Sviatoslav I of Kiev agreed to assist

3010-473: The Byzantines in their war with the Bulgarians. Sviatoslav defeated the Bulgarians (led by Boris II ) and proceeded to occupy the whole of northern Bulgaria. He occupied Dobruja in 968 and moved the capital of Kievan Rus' to Pereyaslavets , in the north of the region. Sviatoslav refused to turn his Balkan conquests over to the Byzantines, and the parties fell out as a result. So the Byzantines under John I Tzimisces reconquered Dobruja in 971 and included it in

3096-462: The Danube", a "great wall from Danube to the sea", "the city of Pliska " and "populated the lands of Karvuna " (nowadays Balchik ). According to Bulgarian historians, during the 7th–10th centuries, the region was fortified by construction of a large network of earthen and wooden strongholds and ramparts. Around the end of the 8th century, widespread building of new stone fortresses and defensive walls began. The Bulgarians also reconstructed some of

3182-429: The Danube. In 1369, together with Vladislav I of Wallachia , Dobrotitsa helped Prince Stratsimir to win back the throne of Vidin . Between 1370 and 1375, allied with Venice, Dobritsia challenged Genoese power in the Black Sea. In 1376, he tried to impose his son-in-law, Michael, as Emperor of Trebizond , but was unsuccessful. Dobrotitsa supported John V Palaeologus against his son Andronicus IV Palaeologus . In 1379,

3268-479: The Dobrujan fleet participated in the blockade of Constantinople , fighting with the Genoese fleet. In 1386, Dobrotitsa died and was succeeded by Ivanko . That same year he accepted a peace agreement with Murad I and in 1387 signed a commercial treaty with Genoa. Ivanko was killed in 1388 during the expedition of Ottoman Grand Vizier Çandarli Ali Pasha against Tarnovo and Dristra . The expedition brought most of

3354-544: The Dobrujan forts under Turkish rule. In 1388/1389 Dobruja ( Terrae Dobrodicii —as mentioned in a document from 1390) and Dristra ( Dârstor ) came under the control of Mircea the Elder , ruler of Wallachia , who defeated the Ottoman Grand Vizier . Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I conquered the southern part of the territory in 1393, attacking Mircea one year later, but without success. In the spring of 1395 Mircea regained

3440-642: The First Bulgarian Empire in response to the threat of Khazars ' raids. From the 10th century, Byzantines accepted small groups of Pechenegs settling in Dobruja. In the spring of 1036, an invasion of the Pecheneg devastated large parts of the region, destroying the forts at Capidava and Dervent , and burning the settlement of Dinogeţia . In 1046 the Byzantines accepted the Pecheneg under Kegen settling in Paristrion as foederati. The Pecheneg dominated

3526-474: The Genoese fort of Kilia at the mouths of the Danube. Thus in 1404, he could impose his authority on Dobruja. In 1416, Mircea supported the revolt against Sultan Mehmed I , led by Sheikh Bedreddin in the area of Deliorman, in Southern Dobruja. Tulcea Tulcea ( Romanian pronunciation: [ˈtult͡ʃe̯a] ; also known by alternative names ) is a city in Northern Dobruja , Romania. It

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3612-523: The Mediterranean world since the 14th century BC, as proven by a Mycenae a sword discovered at Medgidia , but under the reserve demanded by lack of hard evidence in what concerns the provenience/manufacturer of such armours. During the early Iron Age (8th–6th centuries BC), there was increased differentiation of the local Getic tribes from the Thracian mass. In the second part of the 8th century BC,

3698-536: The Slavs under Ardagast in the north of the province. In 602 during the mutiny of the Byzantine army in the Balkans under Phocas , a large mass of Slavs crossed the Danube, settling south of the Danube. Dobruja remained under loose Byzantine control, and was reorganised during the reign of Constantine IV as Thema Scythia . The results of archaeological research indicate that the Byzantine presence on Dobruja's mainland and

3784-592: The Tatars continued. In 1278, after a new Tatar invasion in Dobruja, Ivailo was forced to retreat to the strong fortress of Silistra, where he withstood a three-month siege. In 1280 the Bulgarian nobility, which feared the growing influence of the peasant emperor, organised a coup. Ivailo had to flee to his enemy the Tatar Nogai Khan , who later killed him. In 1300 Toqta , the new Khan of the Golden Horde, ceded Bessarabia to Emperor Theodore Svetoslav . In 1325,

3870-458: The administrative centers of the two provinces. Except for the Danube Delta , a marshy region located in its northeastern corner, Dobruja is hilly, with an average altitude of about 200–300  metres. The highest point is the Țuțuiatu (Greci) Peak in the Măcin Mountains , having a height of 467 m. The Dobruja Plateau covers most of the Romanian part of Dobruja. The Ludogorie Plateau

3956-465: The area of Dristra (probably the same person as Tatrys), and Sesthlav ( Σεσθλάβου ) and Satza ( Σατζά ) in the area of Vicina . The Cumans moved into Dobruja in 1094 and were influential in the region until the advent of the Ottoman Empire . In 1187 the Byzantines lost control of Dobruja to the restored Bulgarian Empire. In 1241, the first Tatar groups, under Kadan , invaded Dobruja starting

4042-473: The banks of the Danube were reduced at the end of the 6th century, under the pressure of the Migration Period . In the coastal fortifications on the southern bank of the Danube, the latest Byzantine coin found dates from the time of the emperors Tiberius II Constantine (574–582) and Heraclius (610–641). After that period, all inland Byzantine cities were demolished by the invaders and abandoned. Some of

4128-538: The beginning of the 5th century after several reconstruction phases, in the third of which a large palaestra was added on the north side. In the second half of the 3rd century AD, the cohors II Flavia Brittonum (from Britain) was garrisoned here, and in the next century the vexillatio Aegyssensis of Legio I Iovia . During the 4th-5th centuries, the city still preserved its military statute (headquarters of cuneus equitum armigerorum, praefectus ripae legionis primae ariae cohortium quinque pedaturae inferioris ). It

4214-406: The cities of Aegyssus and Troesmis for a short time, but Odrysian king Rhoemetalces I defeated them with the help of the Roman army. In 46 AD Thracia became a Roman province and the territories of present Dobruja were absorbed into the province of Moesia. The Geto–Dacians invaded the region several times in the 1st century AD, especially between 62 and 70. In the same period, the base of

4300-458: The coast came under direct rule of the governor of Macedonia . In 6 AD the Roman province of Moesia was created when mention is made of its governor, Caecina Severus ., but Dobruja, under the name Ripa Thraciae , remained part of the Odrysian kingdom. The Greek cities on the coast formed a praefectura orae maritimae . In 12 AD and 15 AD, Getic armies succeeded in conquering

4386-563: The confrontation, and Dobrotitsa became the new ruler. Between 1352 and 1359, with the collapse of Golden Horde rule in Northern Dobruja, a new state appeared. It was controlled by Tatar prince Demetrius , who claimed to be the protector of the river mouths of the Danube. In 1357 Dobrotitsa was mentioned as a despot ruling over a large territory, including the fortresses of Varna , Kozeakos (near Obzor ), and Emona . In 1366, John V Palaeologus visited Rome and Buda , trying to gather military support for his campaigns. On his return, he

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4472-561: The ferry landing. Thus, if counting the Călărași-Ostrov ferry as part of the DN3 road, it can be said that one of the main remaining roles of DN3 is providing a connection between Călărași and Silistra . Note that as of 2009, there is also a direct, newly built Călărași – Silistra ferry, but is far slower (takes almost 2 hours to cross the 8 km distance) and far more infrequent. This Romanian road or road transport-related article

4558-592: The first signs of commercial relations between the indigenous population and the Greeks appeared on the shore of the Halmyris Gulf (now the Sinoe Lake ). In 657/656 BC ancient Greek colonists from Miletus founded a colony in the region: Histria . In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, more Greek colonies were founded on the Dobrujan coast ( Callatis , Tomis , Dionysopolis , Parthenopolis, Aphrodisias, Eumenia etc.). In

4644-554: The following four centuries. The town was first documented under its modern name in 1506 in the Ottoman customs records, described as an "important centre for the transit trade". Around 1848, it was still a small shipyard city, being awarded city status in 1860, when it became a province capital. It became a sanjak centre in Silistre Eyaleti in 1860 and Tuna Vilayeti in 1864. In 1853, The Times of London noted that "Toultcha"

4730-407: The indigenous Bulgarians left the city after the Treaty of Craiova . Tulcea is the site of the "George Georgescu Contest", a music competition created by teachers at the Tulcea Arts High School and held annually since 1992. Named in honor of the conductor George Georgescu (1887–1964), an important figure in the development of Romanian classical music who was born in the Tulcea county, the contest

4816-462: The land was considered as belonging to Dobrotitsa (" دوبرجه " in the original Ottoman Turkish). The loss of the final particle is not unusual in the Turkish world, a similar evolution being observed in the name of Aydın , originally Aydın-éli . Another early use is in the 16th‑century Latin translation of Laonicus Chalcondyles ' Histories , where the term Dobroditia is used for the original Greek "Dobrotitsa's country" ( Δοβροτίκεω χώρα ). In

4902-467: The late 1980s, the road lost almost all importance. Currently, the main road connection between Bucharest and Constanta is done via the A2 motorway , opened between 2004 and 2009, while Călărași is served through an exit from the same motorway at Drajna . Currently, the route is very sparsely used between Bucharest and Călărași, mainly by commuters between Bucharest and its suburbs of Pantelimon and Brănești , as well as by villagers along its route, as

4988-402: The lost Dobrujan territories, with the help of his Hungarian allies. The Ottomans recaptured Dobruja in 1397 and ruled it to 1404, although in 1401 Mircea strongly defeated an Ottoman army. The defeat of Sultan Beyezid I by Tamerlane at Ankara in 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire. Mircea took advantage of it to organise a new anti-Ottoman campaign: in 1403, he occupied

5074-496: The name with the Bulgarian dobrice ("rocky and unproductive terrain"). According to Gheorghe I. Brătianu , the name is a Slavic derivation from the Turkic word Bordjan or Brudjars , which referred to the Turkic Proto-Bulgarians ; this term was also used by Arabic writers. One of the earliest documented uses of the name can be found in the Turkish Oghuz-name narrative, dated to the 15th century, where it appears as Dobruja-éli . The possessive suffix el-i indicated that

5160-456: The panoramic view that it offers. It is located on the same hill as the ruins of Aegyssus and the history museum. The monument itself is represented by an obelisk with a statue of an eagle on one side and the statue of a soldier on the other. The monument was erected to commemorate the War of Independence that made Dobruja part of Romania. Construction began on October 17, 1879, in the presence of Prince Carol I of Romania . The main high school

5246-411: The period. After the Getic raids from 12–15 AD the Romans conquered the town and soon after built a new city. After Trajan's Dacian Wars at the beginning of the 2nd century AD, the city was included in the Moesian Limes defensive frontier system as a military fort and port for a detachment of the Classis Flavia Moesica . The baths were built at the end of the 1st century AD and used until

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5332-408: The plateau. The coastal region of Southern Dobruja is the most arid part of Bulgaria, with an annual precipitation of 450  millimetres. Dobruja is a windy region once known for its windmills . There is wind during about 85–90% of all days; it usually comes from the north or northeast. The average wind speed is about twice higher than the average in Bulgaria. Due to the limited precipitation and

5418-462: The proximity to the sea, rivers in Dobruja are usually short and with low discharge. The region has several shallow seaside lakes with brackish water . The most widespread opinion among scholars is that the origin of the term Dobruja is to be found in the Turkish rendition of the name of a 14th‑century Bulgarian ruler, despot Dobrotitsa . It was common for the Turks to name countries after one of their early rulers (for example, nearby Moldavia

5504-463: The queen of messengers whose name is also known under the Persian form Tahm-Rayiş (تَهم‌رَییش), who lived in the 6th century BC and fought with the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great . The territory of Dobruja has been inhabited by humans since Middle and Upper Palaeolithic , as the remains at Babadag , Slava Rusă and Enisala demonstrate. Paleolithic people made tools of silex and ate fruits, fish, and other hunted animals. In this period fire

5590-399: The region and handing over part of their gains to the Ottoman authorities, they would end up indirectly financing the construction of buildings that still stand in Tulcea today: the modern Tulcea Art Museum and the Azizyie Mosque . The Dobrujan Circassians were expelled from the region after the end of the war. In 1878, after the end of the war, Tulcea was awarded to Romania, together with

5676-426: The region as the south-western extension of Scythia – a practice also followed in a 2nd-century BC inscription, recording a decree made in Histria, which refers to the region surrounding the Greek city as Scythia . However, the toponym Μικρά Σκυθία ( Mikra Skythia ), usually translated as Scythia Minor appears to have become the name for the region later known as Dobruja. The earliest known usage of Mikra Skythia

5762-436: The region to calm a Sarmatian rebellion. In 170 Costoboci invaded Dobruja, 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 defences and numerous barbarian invasions. In the Gothic War (248-253) a coalition of Goths under King Cniva devastated Dobruja. Barbarian attacks followed in 258, 263 and 267. In 269

5848-410: The region until 1059, when Isaac I Komnenos reconquered Dobruja. In 1064, an invasion by the Oghuz Turks affected the region. During 1072 to 1074, when Nestor (the new strategos of Paristrion) was in Dristra, he found that the Pecheneg ruler, Tatrys, was leading a rebellion. In 1091, three autonomous, probably Pecheneg, rulers were mentioned in the Alexiad : Tatos ( Τατοῦ ) or Chalis ( χαλῆ ), in

5934-512: The region, but Germanus Justinus defeated them. In 529, the Gepid commander Mundus repelled a new invasion by Bulgars and Antes. Kutrigurs and Avars invaded the region several times, until 561–562, when the Avars under Bayan I were settled south of the Danube as foederati . During the rule of Mauricius Tiberius , the Slavs devastated Dobruja, destroying the cities of Dorostolon , Zaldapa, and Tropaeum. In 591/593, Byzantine general Priscus tried to stop invasions, attacking and defeating

6020-437: The rest of Northern Dobruja (see Congress of Berlin ). Tulcea was occupied by the Central Powers between 1916–1918 during World War I , and became part of their condominium following the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918 (until November 1918). During that time, the statue of Mircea the Elder was taken down by Bulgarian troops, since it was during his reign that Dobruja was incorporated into Wallachia . Tulcea's climate

6106-426: The ruined Byzantine fortresses ( Kaliakra and Silistra in the 8th century, Madara and Varna in the 9th). According to Barnea, among other historians, 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. But Bulgarian archaeologists note that the last Byzantine coins found, which are considered

6192-405: The spring, summer, and autumn from the northwest, as well as that of northern and northeastern polar air in the winter. The Black Sea also exerts an influence over the region's climate, particularly within 40–60  kilometres from the coast. The average annual temperatures range from 11 °C inland and along the Danube, to 11.8 °C on the coast and less than 10 °C in the higher parts of

6278-459: The theme 'Mesopotamia of the West' (Μεσοποταμια της Δυσεον). According to some historians, soon after 976 or in 986, the southern part of Dobruja was included in the Bulgarian state then ruled by Samuel . The northern part remained under Byzantine rule, being reorganised in an autonomous klimata . Other historians are of the view that Northern Dobruja was reconquered by Bulgarians as well. In 1000,

6364-525: The title of strategos and married the daughter of megadux Apokaukos . After the reconciliation of the two pretenders, a territorial dispute broke out between the Dobrujan polity and the Byzantine Empire for the port of Midia . In 1347, at John V Palaeologus' request, Emir Bahud-din Umur , Bey of Aydın , led a naval expedition against Balik, destroying Dobruja's seaports. Balik and Theodore died during

6450-579: 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. Early Greek scholars such as Herodotus appear to have regarded

6536-606: Was "the last fortified place held by the Turks on the Danube, and which has a garrison of 1,200 men." During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 , Northern Dobruja and specially Tulcea would be the sites of massacres and conflicts between Muslim Circassians and Christian Bulgarians, Russians, and Ukrainians. The Circassians of Dobruja had settled there in 1864 after the Circassian genocide , and through their raids to other peoples of

6622-678: Was at first open only to Romanian music school and high school students but began admitting international students in 1995. Organizers include the Romanian Ministry of Education and Youth, the Education Board of Tulcea County, the Tulcea County Council, the Tulcea Mayoralty, and surviving members of Georgescu's family. The Monument of Independence represents one of the main attractions of the city, because of its placement and of

6708-439: Was captured at Vidin by Ivan Alexander , Tsar of Tarnovo , who believed that the new alliances were directed against his realm. An anti-Ottoman crusade under Amadeus VI of Savoy , supported by the republics of Venice and Genoa , was diverted to free the Byzantine emperor. Dobrotitsa collaborated with the crusaders, and after the allies conquered several Bulgarian forts on the Black Sea, Ivan Alexander freed John and negotiated

6794-654: Was defeated by the Roman legions under Emperor Trajan on the Yantra river . (Later Nicopolis ad Istrum was founded there to commemorate the victory.) The invaders were also defeated near the modern village of Adamclisi , in the southern part of Dobruja. The latter victory was commemorated by the Tropaeum Traiani monument built in 109 at the site and the founding of the city of the same name. After 105, Legio XI Claudia and Legio V Macedonica were moved to Durostorum and Troesmis , respectively. In 118 Hadrian intervened in

6880-620: Was destroyed during the Hun 's invasions in the 5th century and rebuilt under Justinian I along with the monumental reconstruction of the Danubian limes. The town was abandoned by the first half of the 7th century after the Avars -Slavs' attacks and the downfall of Danubian limes. The town is mentioned in Notitia Episcopatuum and De Thematibus on the list of the bishoprics of Dobrudja. Inhabitation

6966-548: Was discovered, and at its end, the bow with arrows and the boat sculpted from a trunk tree was invented. There were found tools in caves, inclusive Gura Dobrogei . In the Neolithic , the territory was occupied by members of the Hamangia culture (named after a village on the Dobrujan coast), Boian culture , and Karanovo V culture. At the end of the fifth millennium BC, under the influence of some Aegeo-Mediterranean tribes and cultures,

7052-586: Was extended to include the northern part and the Danube Delta . In the 19th century, some authors used the name to refer just to the territory between the southernmost branch of the Danube (St. George) in the north and the Karasu Valley (nowadays the Danube-Black Sea Canal ) in the south. The ancestor of the Dobrujan Tatar word Tomrîğa is from Tomiris ( Dobrujan Tatar : Tomrî or Tom-Reyis ),

7138-518: Was founded in the 7th century BC under the name of Aegyssus , mentioned by Procopius . Ovid recorded a local tradition that ascribed its name to a mythical founder, Aegisos the Caspian. Aegyssus was built on a high hill, a strategic location for guarding the Danube particularly under the Romans. The amphorae discovered from 1st century BC to 1st century AD suggest the town was an important trading centre of

7224-401: Was known as Bogdan Iflak by the Turks, named after Bogdan I ). Other etymologies have been considered, but never gained widespread acceptance. Abdolonyme Ubicini believed the name meant "good lands", derived from Slavic dobro ("good"), an opinion that was adopted by several 19th‑century scholars. This derivation appears to contrast with the usual 19th‑century description of Dobruja as

7310-454: Was restored in the second half of the 10th century, as the Byzantines built a fort on the spot after reconquering the region. The fort was soon destroyed in 1064 by an attack of the Uzes , however some inhabitation continued. A settlement, larger than the one in the 11th century, is archaeologically attested beginning with the 14th century. The Ottoman rule was imposed around 1420, and would last for

7396-463: 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 Dobruja. 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 ,

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