Giurgiu
Encyclopedia
Giurgiu (ˈd͡ʒjurd͡ʒju) is the capital city of Giurgiu County
, Romania
, in the Greater Wallachia. It is situated amid mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube
facing the Bulgaria
n city of Rousse
on the opposite bank. Three small islands face the city, and a larger one shelters its port, Smarda. The rich grain-growing land to the north is traversed by a railway to Bucharest
, the first line opened in Romania, which was built in 1869 and afterwards extended to Smarda. Giurgiu exports timber, grain, salt and petroleum, and imports coal, iron, and textiles.
The Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge, the only one in the shared Bulgaria
n-Romanian section of the Danube, crosses the river in the outskirts of the city.
ns (first century BC) as archeological evidence shows, and Burebista
's capital was in this area (it is thought to be in Popeşti
on the Argeş
river). During Roman times this was the site of Theodorapolis, a city built by the Roman emperor Justinian (483-565).
The city of Giurgiu was probably established in the 14th century as a port on the Danube
by the Genoese
merchant adventurers, who established a bank and traded in silks and velvets. They called the city after the patron saint of Genoa, San Giorgio (St George), and hence comes its present name. It was first mentioned in Codex Latinus Parisinus in 1395, during the reign of Mircea I of Wallachia
, and was conquered by the Ottomans
in 1420 as a way to control the Danube traffic. The Ottomans named the city Yergöğü, as if from yer 'earth' + gök 'sky,' but the name was probably given because of the similarity between the pronunciations of "(San) Giorgio" and "Yergöğü".
As a fortified city, Giurgiu figured often in the wars for the conquest of the lower Danube, especially in the struggle of Mihai Viteazul (1593–1601) against the Turks and in the later Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792)
. It was burned in 1659. In 1829, its fortifications were finally razed, the only defence left being a castle on the island of Slobozia, connected to the shore by a bridge.
In 1952–1954, during the Communist regime, the USSR helped build the bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse
, The Bridge of Friendship
, the only bridge on the Danube linking Romania and Bulgaria.
Giurgiu County
Giurgiu is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 297,859 and the population density was 84/km².* Romanians – over 96%* Roma – 3.5%, and others.- Geography :...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, in the Greater Wallachia. It is situated amid mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
facing the Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n city of Rousse
Rousse
Ruse is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is situated in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, from the capital Sofia and from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast...
on the opposite bank. Three small islands face the city, and a larger one shelters its port, Smarda. The rich grain-growing land to the north is traversed by a railway to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the first line opened in Romania, which was built in 1869 and afterwards extended to Smarda. Giurgiu exports timber, grain, salt and petroleum, and imports coal, iron, and textiles.
The Giurgiu-Ruse Friendship Bridge, the only one in the shared Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n-Romanian section of the Danube, crosses the river in the outskirts of the city.
Population
According to the 2002 census, Giurgiu has a population of 69,345. In 1900 its population was 13,977; in 1930 it had a population of 30,348.History
The area around Giurgiu was densely populated at the time of the DaciaDacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
ns (first century BC) as archeological evidence shows, and Burebista
Burebista
Burebista was a king of the Getae and Dacians, who unified for the first time their tribes and ruled them between 82 BC and 44 BC. He led plunder and conquest raids across Central and Southeastern Europe, subjugating most of the neighbouring tribes...
's capital was in this area (it is thought to be in Popeşti
Popesti
Popeşti may refer to several places in Romania:* Popeşti, a commune in Argeş County* Popeşti, a commune in Bihor County* Popeşti, a commune in Iaşi County* Popeşti, a commune in Vâlcea County* Popeşti, a commune in Vrancea County...
on the Argeş
Arges River
Argeș is a river of Southern Romania. It starts at the junction of headwaters Buda and Capra in the Făgăraș Mountains, in the Southern Carpathians and flows into the Danube at Oltenița.The main city on the Argeş is Piteşti...
river). During Roman times this was the site of Theodorapolis, a city built by the Roman emperor Justinian (483-565).
The city of Giurgiu was probably established in the 14th century as a port on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
by the Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
merchant adventurers, who established a bank and traded in silks and velvets. They called the city after the patron saint of Genoa, San Giorgio (St George), and hence comes its present name. It was first mentioned in Codex Latinus Parisinus in 1395, during the reign of Mircea I of Wallachia
Mircea I of Wallachia
Mircea the Elder was ruler of Wallachia from 1386 until his death. The byname "elder" was given to him after his death in order to distinguish him from his grandson Mircea II...
, and was conquered by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1420 as a way to control the Danube traffic. The Ottomans named the city Yergöğü, as if from yer 'earth' + gök 'sky,' but the name was probably given because of the similarity between the pronunciations of "(San) Giorgio" and "Yergöğü".
As a fortified city, Giurgiu figured often in the wars for the conquest of the lower Danube, especially in the struggle of Mihai Viteazul (1593–1601) against the Turks and in the later Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792)
Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792)
The Russo–Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved a futile attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to Russia in the course of the previous Russo–Turkish War, 1768–1774. It took place concomitantly with the Austro-Turkish War of 1787-1791....
. It was burned in 1659. In 1829, its fortifications were finally razed, the only defence left being a castle on the island of Slobozia, connected to the shore by a bridge.
In 1952–1954, during the Communist regime, the USSR helped build the bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse
Rousse
Ruse is the fifth-largest city in Bulgaria. Ruse is situated in the northeastern part of the country, on the right bank of the Danube, opposite the Romanian city of Giurgiu, from the capital Sofia and from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast...
, The Bridge of Friendship
Giurgiu-Rousse Friendship Bridge
The Danube Bridge is a steel truss bridge over the Danube River connecting the Bulgarian bank to the south with the Romanian bank to the north and the cities of Ruse and Giurgiu respectively.-History:Opened on 20 June 1954 and designed by...
, the only bridge on the Danube linking Romania and Bulgaria.
Notable natives
- Vasil Zlatarov (1869–1932), Bulgarian aviation pioneer
- Ioan A. Bassarabescu (1870–1952), Romanian writer
- Paraskev Stoyanov (1876–1940), Bulgarian physicist and surgeon
- Tudor VianuTudor VianuTudor Vianu was a Romanian literary critic, art critic, poet, philosopher, academic, and translator. Known for his left-wing and anti-fascist convictions, he had a major role on the reception and development of Modernism in Romanian literature and art...
(1898–1964), Romanian literary critic