Turnu Magurele

The town of Turnu Magurele, which has the status of a municipality, was officially declared a town in 1836 by a decree issued by the ruler of the Romanian state, Alexandru Gica. There have been settlers in these lands since ancient times. In 1960, a treasure trove of silver coins from the island of Thassos and Macedonia was discovered here. In the 2nd century BC, these lands were inhabited by gecko-Dacians, who maintained ties with regions of the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. In the southern part of the municipality, in the Danube plain, 4 km from the city and 1 km from the confluence of the Olt river with the Danube river, are the excavations of the medieval fortress Turnu. There are remains of a Roman bridge crossing the Danube river, built-in 330 by Constantine the Great. It is located on the Danube lowland, among the fertile Bunarsko field. The name of the city means in Romanian "Tower on the Hill", associated with the defensive tower of the fortress, built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the VI century. The ruins can still be seen today. The fortress played an important role in the Romanian state's defence system, especially during the reign of Mircea cel Batran against the Muslim threat south of the Danube river. It is part of the fortress system in Giurgiu, Tutrakan and Braila.