Isaccea
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Isaccea_in_Romania.png
Isaccea (population: 5,614) is a small town in the Tulcea county, in Dobruja, Romania, on the right bank of the Danube, 35 km north-west of Tulcea.
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Geography
The town has in administration 96.71 km², of which 3.69 km² are inside the residential areas. The town includes two other settlements: Revărsarea and Tichileşti. The Tulcea – Brăila roadway crosses the town.
Many lakes could once be found in the town, but the Communist authorities desiccated them in order to use the terrain for agriculture. This initiative lacked success, since the soil of the area proved to be not very fertile.
History
Ancient history
Inhabited since ancient times, the city was called "Noviodunum", a name of a Celtic origin meaning "New Fort" ("novio" means "new", while "dunum" is Celtic for "hillfort" or "fortified settlement"), with another Dacian city called "Genucla" located nearby. In 514 BC, Darius the Great fought here a decisive battle against the Scythians. A trade post was also built in this town by the Greeks
Later, the city was the base of the lower Danube Roman fleet named "Clasis Flavia Moesica" and it became a centre of the Christianity in the 4th century, in 1970s was found the grave of four Roman Christian martyrs named Zotic, Attal, Kamasie and Filip. In 369 a battle led by the Roman emperor Flavius Valens took place here against the visigoths led by Athanaric. It was then the most important Byzantine naval base on the Danube until 602 when the Byzantines lost it to the migrating people.
Mediaeval history
In the 11th century, the Pechenegs being driven southward by the Cumans, settled in Scythia Minor, including in this city, fact backed by archeological evidence, such as leaf-shaped pendants, characteristic to them. They were eventually assimilated in the Romanian population.
Also in the 11th century can be found the origin of the current name: a local Romanian (according to Nicolae Iorga) king named "Satza" or "Saccea", name that was for the first time used by Byzantine Anna Comnena in her Alexiad. The 14th century Arab geographer Abulfeda mentions the city under the name "Saecdji".
The initial "i" in the name was added during the Turkish domination, due to the same feature of Turkish language that transformed "Stanbul" to "Istanbul".
Another explanation of the name can be found in some local legends that claim that the town was named after a certain Isac Baba, however the other explanation is more likely to be true.
In 1340, it was occupied by the Golden Horde, then in the 14th century it was ruled by Mircea cel Bătrān, then Vlad Ţepeş reached it in 1462 during his campaigns against the Ottoman Empire, but in 1484 it became a Turkish teritory, the Ottomans building here a fort for defending their Northern border. On 6 October 1598, Mihai Viteazul defeats the Ottoman army at Isaccea, recapturing the city, but for a short time, since after Mihai's death in 1601, the town is regained by the Ottomans.
A medieval name of Isaccea was "Obluciţa", Slavic name derived from the word "oblutak", that means a rock that was shaped by water into a rounder form. Another name was "Vicina", which was used mainly by the Genoese navigators.
Modern history
Burnt several times in the 18th century during the Russian-Turkish wars, it was occupied by each side for several times. A local legend explains the existence of a mound near the old pontoo this way: during the Russo-Turkish wars a Turkish general accused of treason was buried alive (horse included), each of his soldiers being forced to bring a fez full of dirt and throw it over the general. After the Independence War of Romania (1877) against the Ottoman Empire, the city became part of the new state of Romania.
Population
The majority of the population is formed by Orthodox Christian Romanians, but there is also a 4% minority of Muslim Turks.
Economy
Much of the local economy is based on agriculture, especially animal husbandry and fishing. Industry is based on extraction of rock from a nearby quarry and woodworking. The town is also a port on the Danube.
Local attractions
- The 2000 years old ruins of the Roman fortress of Noviodunum
- The 17th century Turkish mosque, that has a 25-meter high minaret
References
- Panighiant, Eugen, "Delta Dunării şi Razelmul", Bucureşti, 1960
External link
- Isaccea: Official site (http://isaccea.sample.ro/index_ro.html)ro:Isaccea