The Independence Monument
The Independence Monument

The Independence Monument

5.0 3 reviews
Historic buildings and places Must-see places in Tulcea

Strada Gloriei 84, Tulcea, Romania

Map

About

The foundation stone was laid by King Carol I himself during his visit to Tulcea on October 17-18, 1879. On the parchment placed at the base of the foundation it was written: "The year of 1879, the month of October, in seventeen days, by His Royal Highness Carol I, Lord of Romania, this foundation stone of the monument erected in the city of Tulcea, in commemorating the annexation of Dobrogea by Romania."

The execution of the monument was entrusted to the Romanian sculptor George Vasilescu. The funds necessary for the construction of the work came from the public collection, through the care of the "League for the preservation of Dobrogea" established in 1896 and led by Ioan Nenițescu and architect Grigore Tocilescu.

The monument dedicated to the reunification of Dobrogea with Romania was designed in the form of a 22m obelisk, based on a two-step plinth topped by a pedestal. The obelisk was made of Ravenna granite, on it was the coat of arms of Romania surrounded by laurels, and below it two bronze plates commemorating the event in honor of which the monument was erected, as well as the date on which it was to be inaugurated. On one side and the other of the obelisk, on some semicircular pedestals, two other impressive sculptural elements were fixed - a dorobanț with a weapon on his shoulder and a horn in his hand, a symbol of the Romanian soldiers, and on the left an eagle, the main element of the coat of arms of Romania, symbol of courage and flight to heights. Both were cast in Venice, in bronze, in Munaretti's workshop.

Due to the unexpected death of the sculptor in November 1898, the monument remained unfinished. It was continued, in the next two years, according to G. Vasilescu's plans by the sculptor Constantin Bălăcescu. Thus, in November 1899 the statue of the dorobant was brought to Tulcea and installed, and in 1900 the effigy of the eagle also arrived.

The monument was inaugurated in a festive setting, on May 2, 1904, in the presence of the royal family. The mayor of the city, N. Comișani, then addressed the distinguished guests: "A wish of Your Majesty has been fulfilled: the towering Monument of the re-annexation of Dobrogea has risen on that beautiful rock designated by Your Majesty. He will speak to posterity of the bravery of the dorobant and of the Great Captain, our glorious King".

Destroyed during the First World War by the occupation troops, the monument will be rebuilt in 1935 by the architect G.T. Ionescu, head of the city's technical service, according to the model located at the Military Museum in Bucharest at that time. Due to the lack of funds, the two sculptural elements - the dorobant and the eagle - were no longer made.

On the occasion of the preparations for the celebration of the centenary of Romania's State Independence, the works to restore the monument also begin. Through the contribution of the people of Tulcea and the sculptor Cristea Grosu, the monument was created in its initial form and inaugurated on May 9, 1977.

HINT: Visit this place at sunrise, if you are early bird, or at sunset, to enjoy an impressive view of the city. Give yourself some quiet moments here to really connect with the atmosphere of a city steeped in history.

Similar Suggestions

Historic buildings and places

Borș House (Military Center)

Casa Borș is located in the historical area of ​​the city, a few steps from the "St. Nicolae" Cathedral, the "Jean Bart" Theater, the Avramide House and other heritage buildings. Ștefan Borș, the former owner of this beautiful house, built in 1905 and recently rehabilitated, was born in 1858 in Neamț. After graduating from higher education in Bucharest, he returned to his native county where he began his professional activity as a copyist in the Piatra-Neamț public works constituency office. In 1883, as a young engineer and entrepreneur, he carried out various infrastructure works in Iasi. Fate made him move to Tulcea at the age of 26, in 1884, taking over the management of the County Technical Service, an institution he managed professionally for four years. Six years later, in 1894, at the age of 36, he became the mayor of the municipality of Tulcea; likewise in 1906 and 1911. His political career continued as a senator in the Romanian Parliament. In the 43 years spent here, as an entrepreneur, engineer or politician, 14 schools, 12 churches, 3 barracks, 3 hospitals, a theater, a conference hall and the Fishery Palace were built in Tulcea through his direct involvement. He also rehabilitated the Administrative Palace, the former Pasha Mansion and the current Art Museum, completed the city cadastre, connected the population to the water and electricity network, built streets with paved sidewalks and much more. Ștefan Borș died on June 7, 1928, when the city was in full preparation for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Dobrogea by the Romanian state. He is buried in the Eternitatea Cemetery in Tulcea alongside his first wife and one of the seven children he had. It is said that he lived in this beautiful building until 1921 when he sold the property to Banca Dunărea. From 1968, the building became the headquarters of the Tulcea Garrison Command, or the Army House as it was known by all Tulcea residents. The building has been recently rehabilitated and is worth admiring, even if it cannot be visited.
Strada Progresului, Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places

Motomancea House

The house was built in the period 1870-1875, and from 1929 it became the property of Constantin Motomancea, mathematics teacher and director of the high school that today bears the name "Spiru Haret", particularly involved in the socio-cultural life of the city. The building was nationalized in 1950, where the Tulcea Police operated for a while. Fortunately, even though it currently houses a notary's office, this house has recently been rehabilitated and can be admired and photographed from the street.
Strada Progresului 820009, Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places

Casa Lichiardopol

The building was built in the second half of the 19th century by the Greek merchant Ilie Lichiardopol, hence the name. After 1940, Teodor Lichiardopol, the rightful heir, sells the building to the Ministry of Public Instruction as a school premises. According to the accounts of some notables from Tulce, in the hall with the mural painting on the first floor of the building, on November 18, 1878, the documents for the takeover of Dobrogea by the Romanian authorities were signed. Unfortunately, the building is a ruin today.
Strada Progresului, Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places

Former Turkish Gendarmerie

The building was built in 1868, being ordered by the governor of Sangeac Tulcea, Ismail Bey Paşa, as the headquarters for the Turkish high school. The building was erected through the contributions of the inhabitants and with the financial support of the Circassians established in the city, who, being exempt from taxes for a while, offered money for its construction. After Ismail Bey Pasha's forced departure from the city, the building remained unused for a while and was then turned into a barracks. Since 1878, the premises have been used as the seat of the Tulcea City Hall and since 1968 of the People's Council of the city of Tulcea. In recent years, the building housed the headquarters of some companies, the most recent being Deltacons. As in the case of the former Turkish school, we hope that this historic building will be rehabilitated and utilized for cultural-tourist purposes.
Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places

Former Turkish School

The Turkish School operated next to the Aziziye Window, being inaugurated in 1863, during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz. The building was built in the architectural style specific to the period, with a ground floor, a first floor and a hipped roof. In this area was the Turkish slum, where the main public edifices of the city, which became the residence of the sangeac, were located: the window, the pasha's mansion, the bazaar, the port and others. We hope that this historic building will regain its former glory and importance.
Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places Places of worship

Synagogue

On the Babadag Street, one of the most important streets of the municipality, is located the Synagogue, known as the Israelit Temple, as it appears in official documents and as it is called by the local-jews people, as many as are left. It looks like a construction that has traveled through time, being the only one of its kind on the entire street, guarded on both sides by concrete blocks. In the old days, Babadag street, together with the surrounding streets, was the center of the Jewish quarter of Tulcea, whose number of souls reached, in 1910, approximately two thousand. The Israelite neighborhood, as it was called by the Tulceni, was formed later and more slowly than the Romanian, Greek or Bulgarian ones, perhaps also due to the fact that the Tulcean trade was for a long time a fiefdom of the Greeks and the Armenians. The Israelit Temple is an almost lonely vestige of a large and important community of the city, of which only a few dozen representatives still exist today. From time to time, the beautiful synagogue hosts various cultural events.
Strada Babadag, Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places Places of worship

Aziziye Mosque

The Azizyie Mosque in Tulcea was built in 1863, during the reign of Sultan Abdul Aziz, to whom it is dedicated and from which its name comes. It is one of the largest mosques built by the Ottoman Empire on the territory of Dobrogea, made of carved stone with a thickness of 85 cm. The beautiful construction is equipped with an impressive number of windows (32), their location being 18 in the upper area and ensuring natural lighting for the interior terrace that surrounds the glass on three sides and a number of 14 windows in the lower area. From the beginning, a Turkish school functioned next to the window, which had its headquarters in the building at (currently) 4 Independence Street, still existing today. The window minaret, still visible today, dates back to 1897, when it was rebuilt with funds made available by the Ministry of Religion and Public Instruction.
Moschee, Moschee, Strada 14 Noiembrie, Tulcea, Romania
Must-see places in Tulcea Museums and art galleries
Closed

Constantin Găvenea Memorial House

5.0 1 review
“I am happy that I can leave behind memories related to my work as a teacher, as a supporter of the cultural life of Tulcea and especially as a creative one. My drawings, lithographs and watercolors, the result of more than five decades of work, constitute the gift I leave, out of love, respect and gratitude to the places and people of Tulcea, among whom I lived with my loved ones.” wrote the artist Constantin Găvenea in his autobiography, published in 1988 and entitled “Days Lived with Moments of Sadness”. The building that today houses the “Constantin Găvenea” Memorial House was built in the first decades of the 20th century. The Tulcea artist lived in this house since the fall of 1942, following his detachment from the town of Sarichioi, settling in the city of Tulcea with his family. The house, restored by the Tulcea City Hall, contains five exhibition halls (a hall and four rooms), as well as the master's workshop in the courtyard of the house. Personal objects, manuscripts, books and albums with dedications, photographs, original documents and photocopies are exhibited, all closely related to the life and work of Constantin Găvenea. There are also lithographs, paintings and watercolors executed by the artist in all stages of his creation. The establishment of the Constantin Găvenea Memorial House is considered a tribute to the Great Man, as an example worthy of imitation, a symbolic character of this North-Dobrudzian land that we can be proud of in front of the whole of Europe. IMPORTANT: In order to visit this tourist attraction, please call in advance on +40740074244, from Tuesday to Friday, between 10:00 and 16:00. Thank you!
Strada 24 Ianuarie 23, Tulcea, Romania
Historic buildings and places Must-see places in Tulcea Museums and art galleries
Open

The Avramide House (Art Gallery)

5.0 1 review
Avramide House is a component of the Northern Dobrogean Cultural Heritage Museum Complex that belongs to the "Gavrilă Simion" Tulcea Eco-Museum Research Institute. This superb house, known among Tulceni as the House of Collections, was built at the end of the 19th century by Alexandru Avramide, of Greek ethnicity. This was a prosperous local entrepreneur, who owned several mills, workshops, various commercial premises, a sawmill, but also several agricultural areas. Alexandru Avramide is known to have arrived in the city of Tulcea in the middle of the 19th century, driven by a strong ambition and tenacity, which would later make him one of the richest people in the entire region. Around 1890, Avramide managed to bring two Italian craftsmen to the area, to whom he entrusted everything necessary to build the house he dreamed of as a symbol of the family's prosperity. From that moment and until the edifice became the most beautiful construction in the city, not much time passed. Located right in the center of the city of Tulcea, right next to the Church of Saint Nicholas, the house, considered luxurious, stood out especially for the rooms on the lower level. They are decorated with painted stucco, painted ceilings and benefit from doors in two wings, two main facades, and on one of them you can see an imposing staircase made of marble mosaic. After 1944, the house was transformed into the headquarters of the Greek Democratic Committee, and on November 14, 1949, the act was signed that created the "Danube Delta" Museum, which was officially opened only on May 1, 1950 The museum occupied two rooms in the entire building and had 872 complementary materials or objects in its heritage. Between 1952-1953, the School Inspectorate of Tulcea county carried out its activity in the same building. Because it was only in 1957 that the first reorganizations of the museum took place. From 1959, a special department of archeology and ethnography operated at the site of the building, but it was closed in 1962. Since 1964, when the aquarium tanks were built at the site of the building, together with the addition of a collection consisting of 1500 biological pieces , plus a voluminous herbarium, the house functioned in its complexity as a natural science museum. Recently the edifice was rehabilitated through a project called "Restoration and Rehabilitation of two heritage buildings from the municipality of Tulcea included in the regional tourist circuits" offering today, through a modern exhibition, the main historical elements of the city of Tulcea, but also of the family Avramides. Also here, various heritage objects from the collections of the Eco-Museum Research Institute "Gavilă Simion" Tulcea are perfectly displayed.
Casa Avramide, Strada Progresului 32, Tulcea 820009, Romania
2 events