Ancient fort of Halmyris

Situated 2 km from Murighiol, Halmyris was for over six centuries a Roman legionary base with two gates, 15 towers and a naval port. At the mouth of the Romanian Danube Delta, it was the outpost at the furthest north-eastern point of the Roman Empire. The fort and the base have been excavated. In Roman times this settlement on the shore of Halmyris Gulf (Halmyris means salt water) was known as Salmorus or Thalamonium. Two Getic burial sites found nearby indicate settlements that date back to the 3^rd and 2^nd centuries BC. The Romans built a stone “castrum” during the reign of Emperor Trajan. The fortress was destroyed several times, underwent four phases of reconstruction and was finally abandoned in the 7^th century AD. In the early 4^th century, Emperor Constantine the Great constructed a basilica here. Earthquakes altered the Danube course which eventually left the port and Halmyris without any trace of its existence. For more information, contact the Museum of History and Archeology, Tulcea (read section Tulcea, museums).

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