Only some of the Roman fortresses along the Danube in Tulcea County are expected to be included on UNESCO's World Heritage List, as research continues on the Danube Limes nomination launched more than a decade ago, with the final dossier to be submitted jointly by Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia.
Marius Streinu, representative of the National Heritage Institute (INP), told AGERPRES that Noviodunum is among the sites expected to be included on the UNESCO list and that the research process is complex and time-consuming.
"It is a joint dossier with our Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian neighbours and such fruitful cooperation naturally takes a long time, because in order to be included on the UNESCO list you need to thoroughly document all the sites proposed for this prestigious status. Specialists have been working continuously on the dossier. Since partners are involved, you also need to coordinate with neighbouring countries in order to submit it simultaneously," Streinu said.
The international Danube Limes project, launched in 2014, aims to link Roman fortifications along the Danube from Germany to the river's mouth at the Black Sea. However, some sites will not be included, despite their historical significance, because of their poor state of preservation.
"Some fortresses are either poorly preserved or the state cannot guarantee their protection, as is the case with the one in Macin [Arrubium, degraded by people who built houses or auxiliary structures inside the site, editor's note], a fortress that is being systematically destroyed, and neither the judiciary nor anyone else seems able to do anything about it. I simply do not understand why," the INP representative said.
According to Streinu, the Ministry of Culture provides funding for archaeological research, including investigations outside the fortresses themselves.
"Local authorities should invest in site research because, beyond preserving our history, a well-researched, properly maintained and accessible monument, without artificial reconstructions, as happened at Capidava, can attract many tourists and create new economic opportunities. People can open guesthouses, start small businesses and find jobs, creating a healthy self-financing mechanism for local communities," Streinu said.
He attended the European Archaeology Days events held last weekend at Noviodunum, one of the sites expected to receive UNESCO status.
Built on the site of an earlier Getic settlement, the Roman and Byzantine fortress of Noviodunum played military, strategic and economic roles. By the end of the second century it had obtained the status of municipium. It hosted detachments of Roman legions stationed in Dobruja and served as the main base of the Classis Flavia Moesica, which controlled the lower Danube and the northern and western shores of the Black Sea.
Romania has participated in the European Archaeology Days programme since 2020. As national coordinator of the initiative, the National Heritage Institute annually invites institutions and organisations managing archaeological heritage to open their doors and facilitate encounters between specialists and the public.
The initiative aims to highlight Europe's shared cultural heritage and strengthen social cohesion by promoting free access to culture and knowledge.
At Noviodunum, the archaeological site operated by the "Gavrila Simion" Eco-Museum Research Institute in Tulcea, the event has been marked every year, with the 2026 edition held under the theme "Noviodunum: Archaeology, History, Community".
Comentează