About Tutrakan

Tutrakan boasts an ancient history of two thousand years. The town was founded by the Romans at the end of the first half of the first century A.D. with the name of Transmarisca. It was part of the Roman military border during the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D., but it was most prominent during 4th c. A.D. when the town, under the personal supervision of Emperor Diocletian was converted into one of the largest fortresses along the Roman border on the Danube. The ancient town and fortress were destroyed in the beginning of the 7th c. A.D., and by the end of the same century the modern town was born with the name it is known today - Tutrakan. During the Bulgarian Middle Ages it was known as the center of the administrative military region.Tutrakan is situated 60 km from the regional centers Rousse and Silistra which accounts for its being a distinct town center with adjoining territory. Also is on 120 km from the capital of Romania - Bucharest.

 

Geographic Situation

Tutrakan and its environs covers the south-west part of Dobrudzha. To the north it abuts on a Danube river, to the south-west it reaches to Brashlianska lowland and Ludogorie, to the south-east it enters in the smoothly Dobrudzhansko plateau. In this borders Tutrakan and its environs has  the following geographic situation: : 26°50’ east length and 44°10’ north width.

         The city is situated on a terrain which in west direction is low and on the waterside of Danube river reaches height to 4 meters.

         To the east of Tutrakan begins the high and plain part of Dobrudzhansko plateau, which has middle above sea-level of 140 meters. The above sea-level of the waterside reaches to 28 meters.

The Danube riverside from Tutrakan to Silistra is cut through valleys, many hollows with water streams and short rivers. In valleys like this are located the villages – Pozharevo, Dunavetz, Dolno Ryahovo and Malak Preslavetz.

         At places to the waterside are dropped slang slopes, which are forming the low terrace – riverside. The riverside slopes and ravines are overgrown with forests and the lowest and smooth terraces are sown with vineyards and fruit gardens.

 Dobrudzhansko plateau from its side is a plain which is cut through great number of arid valleys through in the past deep rivers were flown. From these rivers the most typical thing is the dry bed of the old big and deep Demir baba river. It took its source from Ludogorieto and infused in Danube river under Staro selo village. In some of the ravines there are water springs and through these springs are flowing a little rivers which waters are infusing in the micro lakes around Tutrakan, Antimovo village, Stefan Karadzha village, Sokol village, Zafirovo village and Kolarovo village.

Tutrakan’s terrain and its environs is rich and productive humus. Today from the humus are receiving a high crop from the wheat and industrial cultures -  corn, barley, maize and sunflower, beans, sugar beet, tobacco, hemp, soy-bean and vegetables; from the fruit-cultures -  grapes,  apricot, peach and apple.

History

After the Liberation Tutrakan was famous for being the largest fishing centre along the Lower Danube. At the same time the town was the major producer of river vessels from Middle Europe to the delta.

At the end of the  XIX century - beginning of the XX century Tutrakan was established as a major commercial, administrative and cultural centre. Russian and Austrian passenger ships frequented its port.  The river brought to the town European civilisation. The town was a regional centre comprising of 45 villages. At the beginning of the 20th century there were two book publishers that made popular books by Bulgarian and foreign world-wide known authors, and six schools, including a professional school. The town was blooming until 1913, when complying with the Bucharest agreement the end to the Interalliance War was announced. Tutrakan was transferred to Romanian power. Romanian military regiments were stationed in the town. After Bulgaria joined in the First World War  it gained back the lost territories.

After the Peace Treaty of Neui of November, 27th

1919 South Dobrudzha again became possession of the Roumanian Kingdom.

On September 7th 1940 in Krayova a treaty was signed, which in itself was a precedent worldwide, according to which Dobrudzha was peacefully reinstituted to Bulgaria. One of its clauses refers to the exchange of the two national groups, Bulgarians and Romanians and 4237 Romanian colonists were made to leave, and were replaced by Bulgarians from Northern Dobrudzha. This led to a number of economic difficulties but despite this fact the economic and cultural life in the town was revived.