Topalu is a commune located on the right bank of the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

Constanța County Constanța () is a Counties of Romania, county (județ) of Romania on the Bulgaria–Romania border, border with Bulgaria, in the Dobruja region. Its capital city is also named Constanța. Demographics In 2021, it had a population of 655,997 ...

Northern Dobruja Northern Dobruja ( or simply ; , ''Severna Dobrudzha'') is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube, Danube River and the Black Sea, bordered in the south by Southern Dobruja, which is a part of Bulgaria. ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

Administration

The commune includes two villages: * Topalu (historical name: ) * Capidava (historical names: ''Calichioi'', )

Demographics

At the 2011 census, Topalu had 1,707

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

(99.94%), 1 others (0.06%).

History

Tabula Peutingeriana

Capidava is depicted in the form ''Calidava''/''Calidaua'' in Segmentum VIII of

Tabula Peutingeriana ' (Latin Language, Latin for 'The Peutinger Map'), also known as Peutinger's Tabula, Peutinger tablesJames Strong (theologian) , James Strong and John McClintock (theologian) , John McClintock (1880)"Eleutheropolis" In: ''The Cyclopedia of Bibli ...

(1st-4th century AD) on a

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

between Axiopolis and Carsium. The map provides accurate data on the distances between Axiopolis, Capidava and Carsium. These distances coincide with the distances between the present localities of Hinog -

Capidava Capidava (''Kapidaua'', ''Cappidava'', ''Capidapa'', ''Calidava'',''Calidaua'') was originally an important Geto-Dacian centre on the right bank of the Danube. After the Roman conquest, it became a civil and military centre in the province o ...

and Capidava -

Hârșova Hârșova (also spelled ''Hîrșova''; ; ; , ''Harsovo'') is a town located on the right bank of the Danube, in Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. The village of Vadu Oii is administered by the town. The village is linked with Giurge ...

. This is also verified by the discovery of military marking pillar at Seimenii Mici that indicates the distance of 18,000 feet (27 km) from Axiopolis to Capidava.

Ancient times

The village Capidava is the site of the fortified Geto-

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...

n center with the same name,

. After the

Roman conquest of Dacia Trajan's Dacian Wars (101–102, 105–106) were two military campaigns fought between the Roman Empire and Dacia during Emperor Trajan's rule. The conflicts were triggered by the constant Dacian threat on the Danubian province of Moesia and al ...

it became a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

castra ''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Scythia Minor (modern

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...

Etymology

Capidava is a Getic toponym, meaning the "curve fortified settlement".

References

External links

Official Capidava Archaeological Site

Official Capidava Fortress Site at Constanţa County Council

hosted by ''The Public Office for Tourism, Commerce and Public Services'', part of the Constanţa County Council
Capidava
hosted by the Romanian National Institute of Historical Monuments
Capidava article at ziare.com
{{Authority control Communes in Constanța County Localities in Northern Dobruja Populated places on the Danube Dacian towns Archaeological sites in Romania Ruins in Romania Place names of Turkish origin in Romania