The Dacian fortress of Covasna served as a
Dacian fortified town and is rated to have been built in the 1st century BC. It sits on a mountain in the Brețcu-Oituz Mountains above the town of
Covasna
Covasna (, hu, Kovászna, , german: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania, at an altitude of . It is known for its natural mineral waters and mofettas.
The town administers one village, Chiuruș ( hu, Csomakőrös). The ...
, which is 227 km from the capital of
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
.
The fortress is also known by the name of the ''
Fairies
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
Fortress'', sitting atop of the ''Valley of Fairies''.
Construction
The fortress consisted of a number of terraced fortifications sitting at an altitude of about 900 m above sea level with a command of the areas around south-east
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, south
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and east
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
. In all the fortress covered an area of 10,000 m
2. A number of defensive buildings were built as well as religious sites and the terraces had the effect of blocking and hampering advancing armies as they were bolstered by 1.5 m to 2 m high and 2m to 2.5 m thick solid sandstone slab walls.
[
The first terrace was 3,000 m2 while the second was 3,700 m2 and the third 150 m2. Each was fortified by walls. Excavations lead to the possibility of other terraces further down.][
The main acropolis was situated at the base of the plateau was a 700 m2 circular solid stone building.][
]
Conquering
The fortress is assumed to have been a Dacian haven for over two centuries until the Roman–Dacian wars of the 2nd Century AD.
Excavation
Three major excavation works have happened here through the last century:[
* Al. Ferenczi (1942 - 1943)
* C. Daicoviciu (1949)
* V. Sârbu and V. Crisan, 1998
]
References
External links
Image gallery of Fairies FortressVirtual reconstruction of Fairies Fortress
{{Dacia topics
Dacian fortresses in Covasna County
Historic monuments in Covasna County
Covasna