Adamclisi: Encyclopedia - Adamclisi

Adamclisi

Adamclisi is a commune in Constanţa County, in the Dobrogea region of Romania.

In ancient times a Roman castrum named Civitas Tropaeensium was settled here and in 109 AD a monument named Tropaeum Traiani was built to commemorate the Roman Empire's victories over the Dacians.

Colonized with Roman veterans of the Dacian Wars, the city was the largest Roman city of Scythia Minor and became a municipium around the year 200. Destroyed by the Goths, it was rebuilt during the rule of Constantine the Great and better defense walls, which defended the city successfully until the Avars sacked it in 587. After that moment, it ceased to be among the important cities of Dobrogea and was no longer mentioned for seven hundred years.

The current name has a Turkish origin and it is an adaptation in Romanian of "Adam Kilisse" which means "the church of man" (when the Turkish people settled in this area, they thought the Ancient Roman monument was a church).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Adamclisi", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki