Medgidia
Encyclopedia
'Medgidia is a city in Constanţa County
, Dobruja
, south-eastern Romania
.
period. Starting with 46 BC the region was administered by the Roman Empire
. A castrum
was built in the Carasu Valley, becoming the cradle of the settlement.
In 1417, the Turks
invaded Dobruja. From the 15th century onwards the region started to be colonized with Muslim
population. The settlement named "Karasu" (Turkish for "Black Water") was mentioned on the map of Iehuda ben Zara in 1497, in the notes of Paolo Giorgio (1590) and Evliya Çelebi
(1653).
Modern Medgidia was built by the Ottoman
administration on the place of the old Karasu beginning with 1856. It was built as a planned city to accommodate refugees from the Crimean War
and to serve as an economic hub for the central zone of Dobruja. The town was named in honour of the sultan
Abdul Medjid
, the Ottoman sovereign of the period.
After the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Northern Dobruja
became part of Romania.
Medgidia is located between the Danube
and the Black Sea
, 39 km far from Constanţa
.
The general aspect of the relief is that of a low plateau with a limestone structure, covered with thick deposits of loess
.
The natural resources in the area consist of limestone deposits and kaolin sand. The limestone structure of the earth permits a natural filtering of the groundwater.
in 1994.
The town infrastructure is continuously developing and offers the inhabitants 4 high schools, 8 primary schools, 12 nurseries, 4 cultural centers with a hall for cultural activities, 2 show and cinema halls, 3 clubs and 5 libraries, a 30,000-seat stadium, a sports hall and a swimming pool. Medgidia also houses a 500-bed hospital.
The following villages are administered by the municipality:
).
The Medgidia Municipal Council, elected in the 2008 local government elections
, is made up of 19 councilors, with the following party composition:
Beside the agricultural activities (milk-processing, milling, bakery and wine growing), the main industry deals in cement and building materials, agricultural machinery and forgery equipment, wood processing and furniture factories.
Medgidia lies in the center of an agricultural area of several tens of millions hectares, with a fertile soil and provided with irrigation systems.
The area offers:
The Medgidia clinker storage facility
was completed in 2009 and is the world's largest dome-type cement clinker
storage facility.
. The Danube-Black Sea Canal
crosses the town for about 6 km of its length.
The canal has a capacity of 11.2 million tons/year and can admit ships of . Provided with road and rail links, the harbor offers storage facilities and cranes able to lift up to 16-ton weights. Beside a SNCFR
marshaling yard, along the Canal there is a Free Trade Area in course of being finalized.
A planned highway from Bucharest
to Constanţa
, partially financed by the EU
, will bypass the town, allowing the development of associated services (hotels, petrol stations and a parking yard for trucks) in the area.
, Ion Jalea
and others. The permanent exhibition takes in classic and modern artworks but also works of contemporary art classics: Lucian Grigorescu, Nicolae Tonitza
, Francisc Şirato
, Ştefan Dumitrescu, Iosif Iser
. The museum also displays a collection of ceramic artworks.
In 1991 the museum was named after Lucian Grigorescu, a town native, who was deemed as the most Latin among the Romanian painters.
The city honors the painter every year on the 1st of February, the anniversary of his birthday.
The mosque is served by an imam and a muezzin. The building respects the traditional form of the Muslim cultural placements, decorated in the interior with oriental ornaments and inscriptions in Arabic.
.
n division which fought in Dobruja during the World War I
(see the Romanian Campaign (World War I)
) by inaugurating a monument in its honor. With this occasion a ceremony was held with the participation of Romanian and Yugoslavia
n officials; wreaths were laid at the base of the monument by the Serbian and Romanian royal families.
with:
Constanta County
Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the...
, Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
, south-eastern 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...
.
History
Archaeological findings show that Dobruja was inhabited since the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period. Starting with 46 BC the region was administered by the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. A castrum
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
was built in the Carasu Valley, becoming the cradle of the settlement.
In 1417, the Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
invaded Dobruja. From the 15th century onwards the region started to be colonized with Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population. The settlement named "Karasu" (Turkish for "Black Water") was mentioned on the map of Iehuda ben Zara in 1497, in the notes of Paolo Giorgio (1590) and Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
(1653).
Modern Medgidia was built by the Ottoman
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...
administration on the place of the old Karasu beginning with 1856. It was built as a planned city to accommodate refugees from the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
and to serve as an economic hub for the central zone of Dobruja. The town was named in honour of the sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Abdul Medjid
Abdülmecid I
Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...
, the Ottoman sovereign of the period.
After the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, bordered in south by Bulgarian Southern Dobruja.-Geography:...
became part of Romania.
Geography
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....
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, 39 km far from Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
.
The general aspect of the relief is that of a low plateau with a limestone structure, covered with thick deposits of loess
Loess
Loess is an aeolian sediment formed by the accumulation of wind-blown silt, typically in the 20–50 micrometre size range, twenty percent or less clay and the balance equal parts sand and silt that are loosely cemented by calcium carbonate...
.
The natural resources in the area consist of limestone deposits and kaolin sand. The limestone structure of the earth permits a natural filtering of the groundwater.
Local administration
Medgidia became a municipalityMunicipalities of Romania
A municipiu is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries. This status is given to towns that are quite large and urbanized...
in 1994.
The town infrastructure is continuously developing and offers the inhabitants 4 high schools, 8 primary schools, 12 nurseries, 4 cultural centers with a hall for cultural activities, 2 show and cinema halls, 3 clubs and 5 libraries, a 30,000-seat stadium, a sports hall and a swimming pool. Medgidia also houses a 500-bed hospital.
The following villages are administered by the municipality:
- Remus Opreanu (historical name: Alibei-Ceair) - renamed after Remus OpreanuRemus OpreanuRemus Opreanu was a Romanian jurist and politician.After studying for a year at the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Law, he continued in 1865 at the University of Paris, obtaining an undergraduate degree in Law the following years...
, the first Romanian prefectPrefect (Romania)A prefect in Romania represents the Government in each of the country's 41 counties, as well as the Municipality of Bucharest.-Attributes:The main attributes of prefects are defined at Article 123 of the Constitution of Romania:...
of Constanţa County (1878–1881) - Valea Dacilor (historical name: Endecarachioi, or Hendek Kara Kuyusu)
Politics
The current mayor of Medgidia is Iordache Marian (National Liberal PartyNational Liberal Party (Romania)
The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social...
).
The Medgidia Municipal Council, elected in the 2008 local government elections
Romanian local election, 2008
Local elections were held in Romania on June 1, 2008, with a runoff for mayors on June 15, 2008.On June 1 where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest...
, is made up of 19 councilors, with the following party composition:
| Party | Seats | Current Council | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
10 | |||||||||||
| Democratic Liberal Party Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
4 | |||||||||||
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
4 | |||||||||||
| Democratic Union of Turco-Islamic Tatars of Romania Romanian ethnic minorities parties The Romanian Constitution , under the contitions imposed by the Electoral Law, reserves a seat in the Chamber of Deputies for the party and cultural association of each ethnic minority in Romania... |
1 |
Economy
The economic landscape spotlights the existence of a town fully involved in its progress. Out of 1,200 registered enterprises, only 30 are state-owned and 15 are joint ventures.Beside the agricultural activities (milk-processing, milling, bakery and wine growing), the main industry deals in cement and building materials, agricultural machinery and forgery equipment, wood processing and furniture factories.
Medgidia lies in the center of an agricultural area of several tens of millions hectares, with a fertile soil and provided with irrigation systems.
The area offers:
- a rich agricultural tradition and trained specialists
- a road network for the transport of goods
- relatively short transport distances, especially through the port
- access to other Romanian or European regions
- better climate conditions than in other parts of Romania (winter is shorter)
- an outstanding irrigation potential
The Medgidia clinker storage facility
Medgidia clinker storage facility
Medgidia Clinker Storage Facility is the largest dome-type cement clinker storage facility in the world and one of the largest dome-type structures in Romania. It is operated by Lafarge and situated at Medgidia...
was completed in 2009 and is the world's largest dome-type cement clinker
Clinker (cement)
thumb|200px|right|Typical clinker nodulesthumb|200px|right|Hot clinkerIn the manufacture of Portland cement, clinker is lumps or nodules, usually 3-25 mm in diameter, produced by sintering limestone and alumino-silicate during the cement kiln stage.-Uses:...
storage facility.
Transport
The town is a road and rail node and an inland port to the Danube-Black Sea CanalDanube-Black Sea Canal
The Danube – Black Sea Canal is a canal in Romania which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube to Agigea and Năvodari on the Black Sea...
. The Danube-Black Sea Canal
Danube-Black Sea Canal
The Danube – Black Sea Canal is a canal in Romania which runs from Cernavodă on the Danube to Agigea and Năvodari on the Black Sea...
crosses the town for about 6 km of its length.
The canal has a capacity of 11.2 million tons/year and can admit ships of . Provided with road and rail links, the harbor offers storage facilities and cranes able to lift up to 16-ton weights. Beside a SNCFR
Caile Ferate Române
Căile Ferate Române is the official designation of the state railway carrier of Romania. Romania has a railway network of of which are electrified and the total track length is . The network is significantly interconnected with other European railway networks, providing pan-European passenger...
marshaling yard, along the Canal there is a Free Trade Area in course of being finalized.
A planned highway from 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....
to Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
, partially financed by the EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, will bypass the town, allowing the development of associated services (hotels, petrol stations and a parking yard for trucks) in the area.
The Art Museum "Lucian Grigorescu"
It was opened in 1964 with exhibitions of Romanian contemporary painting, sculpture, and graphics, signed Lucian Grigorescu, Marius BunescuMarius Bunescu
Marius Bunescu was a Romanian painter, organizer of the National Museum of Art, and director of the Anastase Simu Museum....
, Ion Jalea
Ion Jalea
-External links:*...
and others. The permanent exhibition takes in classic and modern artworks but also works of contemporary art classics: Lucian Grigorescu, Nicolae Tonitza
Nicolae Tonitza
Nicolae Tonitza was a Romanian painter, engraver, lithographer, journalist and art critic. Drawing inspiration from Post-impressionism and Expressionism, he had a major role in introducing modernist guidelines to local art.-Biography:...
, Francisc Şirato
Francisc Sirato
Francisc Şirato was a Romanian painter, graphic artist, art critic, and designer.-External links:*...
, Ştefan Dumitrescu, Iosif Iser
Iosif Iser
Iosif Iser was a Romanian painter and graphic artist.Born to a Jewish family, he was initially inspired by Expressionism, creating drawings with thick, unmodulated, lines and steep angles...
. The museum also displays a collection of ceramic artworks.
In 1991 the museum was named after Lucian Grigorescu, a town native, who was deemed as the most Latin among the Romanian painters.
The city honors the painter every year on the 1st of February, the anniversary of his birthday.
The "Abdul Mejid" Mosque
Built in 1860 by the Ottoman Government, the mosque is an historic and architectural monument. It was named after the sultan Abdul Mejid - who reigned between 1839 and 1861.The mosque is served by an imam and a muezzin. The building respects the traditional form of the Muslim cultural placements, decorated in the interior with oriental ornaments and inscriptions in Arabic.
The "Saints Peter and Paul" Orthodox church
The church was built in a Roman-Greek style and it was raised with the contribution of the local Christians on the ruins of a Roman castrumCastra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
.
The Serbian Heroes' Monument
In 1926, Medgidia commemorated the heroism of the SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n division which fought in Dobruja during the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(see the Romanian Campaign (World War I)
Romanian Campaign (World War I)
The Romanian Campaign was part of the Balkan theatre of World War I, with Romania and Russia allied against the armies of the Central Powers. Fighting took place from August 1916 to December 1917, across most of present-day Romania, including Transylvania, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian...
) by inaugurating a monument in its honor. With this occasion a ceremony was held with the participation of Romanian and Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
n officials; wreaths were laid at the base of the monument by the Serbian and Romanian royal families.
The Medgidia Festival
The festival has been celebrated each year since 1999, at the end of October, and is attended by thousands of locals.Media
- Graiul Dobrogei (link Graiul Dobrogei), local newspaper
- Alpha Media, local TV channel
Twin towns — Sister cities
Medgidia is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: