View source for Tulcea

{{For|the administrative subdivision|Tulcea County}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
| type                 = municipality
| county               = Tulcea
| image_map            = 
| map_caption          = 
| official_name        = 
| image_shield         = CoaTulcea.png
| image_skyline        = {{multiple image
 |border               = infobox
 |total_width          = 300
 |image_style          = infobox
 |perrow               = 1/2/1
 |caption_align        = center
 |image1               = Puerto_de_Tulcea,_Rumanía,_2016-05-28,_DD_42.jpg
 |caption1             = [[Port of Tulcea]]
 |image2               = Independence Monument (37959358165).jpg
 |caption2             = Monument of independence
 |image3               = Cetatea Aegyssus1.JPG
 |caption3             = Ruins of Aegyssus
 |image4               = Tulcea2008k.jpg
 |caption4             = Former headquarters of the State Fisheries Administration
 }}
| leader_name          = Ștefan Ilie<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |title=Results of the 2020 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=June 14, 2021 |archive-date=October 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009164915/https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_party         = PNL
| leader_term          = 2020&ndash;2024
| coordinates          = {{Wikidatacoord|Q11585|type:city_region:RO|display=inline,title}}
| elevation            = 30
| elevation_min        = 
| elevation_max        = 
| area_total           = 177.24
| population_total     = auto
| population_footnotes = 
| postal_code          = 820002–820249
| area_code            = (+40) 02 40
| website              = {{URL|www.primaria-tulcea.ro}}
}}
'''Tulcea''' ({{IPA|ro|ˈtult͡ʃe̯a}}; also known by [[#Names|alternative names]]) is a city in [[Northern Dobruja]], [[Romania]]. It is the administrative center of [[Tulcea County]], and had a population of 65,624 {{As of|2021|lc=y}}. One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. It is one of six Romanian county seats [[List of cities and towns on the river Danube|lying on the river Danube]].

== Names ==
The city is known in Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian as Тулча, [[Romanization of Cyrillic|romanized]]: ''Tulcha''; in Greek as Αιγισσός, [[Romanization of Greek|romanized]]: ''Aigissós''; in Hungarian as ''Tulcsa'';<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alexe |first1=Virginia |last2=Bărbulescu |first2=Gabriela |last3=Dascălu |first3=Violeta |last4=Ioniță |first4=Daniela |translator-last1=Opra |translator-first1=Zsuzsanna-Maria |translator-last2=Albert |translator-first2=Andreea |translator-last3=Deregan |translator-first3=Sidonia |year=2021 |title=Földrajz: Tankönyv a IV. osztály számára |trans-title=Geography: Textbook for grade four |url=https://edu.litera.ro/manuale/2021_404_GEO4/GEO4_HU.pdf |language=hu |location=Bucharest |publisher=Litera |isbn=978-606-33-8271-0 |access-date=August 7, 2022 |archive-date=August 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807152302/https://edu.litera.ro/manuale/2021_404_GEO4/GEO4_HU.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and in Turkish as ''Tulça''.
[[File:Eastern Moesia.png|thumb|Eastern [[Moesia]]: cities and roads]]

== History ==
===Iron Age===
[[File:Cetatea Aegyssus2.JPG|thumb|Ruins of Aegyssus]]

Tulcea was founded in the 7th century BC under the name of ''Aegyssus'', mentioned by [[Procopius]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://topostext.org/work/239#4.7.1 |title=Procopius, On Buildings, §4.7.1 |access-date=March 23, 2020 |archive-date=July 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719045122/https://topostext.org/work/239#4.7.1 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ovid]] recorded a local tradition that ascribed its name to a mythical founder, Aegisos the Caspian.<ref>Ovid Ex Ponto 4.9</ref>

===Roman period===
Aegyssus was built on a high hill, a strategic location for guarding the Danube particularly under the Romans.
The amphorae discovered from 1st century BC to 1st century AD suggest the town was an important trading centre of the period.

After the [[Getic]] raids from 12{{ndash}}15 AD<ref>Ovid Ex Ponto 4.9</ref> the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] conquered the town and soon after built a new city. 

After [[Trajan's Dacian Wars]] at the beginning of the 2nd century AD, the city was included in the [[Moesian Limes]] defensive frontier system as a military fort and port for a detachment of the ''[[Classis Flavia Moesica]]''.

The baths were built at the end of the 1st century AD and used until the beginning of the 5th century after several reconstruction phases, in the third of which a large ''[[palaestra]]'' was added on the north side.

In the second half of the 3rd century AD, the ''cohors II Flavia Brittonum'' (from Britain) was garrisoned here, and in the next century the ''[[vexillatio]] Aegyssensis'' of ''[[Legio I Iovia]]''. During the 4th-5th centuries, the city still preserved its military statute (headquarters of ''cuneus equitum armigerorum, praefectus ripae legionis primae ariae cohortium quinque pedaturae inferioris''). It was destroyed during the [[Hun]]'s invasions in the 5th century and rebuilt under [[Justinian I]] along with the monumental reconstruction of the Danubian limes.

===Middle Ages===

The town was abandoned by the first half of the 7th century after the [[Avars (Caucasus)|Avars]]-Slavs' attacks and the downfall of Danubian limes.<ref name=Stanica>{{cite journal |last=Stănică |first=Aurel |title=Tulcea. Un centru economic la Dunărea de Jos în secolul al XVI-lea |year=2004 |journal=Peuce |publisher=Institutul de Cercetări Eco-Muzeale |volume=II(XV) |series=S.N. |issn=0258-8102 |location=Tulcea |page=199}}</ref> The town is mentioned in [[Notitia Episcopatuum]] and [[De Thematibus]] on the list of the bishoprics of Dobrudja.

Inhabitation was restored in the second half of the 10th century, as the Byzantines built a fort on the spot after reconquering the region. The fort was soon destroyed in 1064 by an attack of the [[Oghuz Turks|Uzes]], however some inhabitation continued.<ref name=Stanica/> A settlement, larger than the one in the 11th century, is archaeologically attested beginning with the 14th century. The [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman rule]] was imposed around 1420, and would last for the following four centuries.<ref name=Stanica/>

===Later history===

The town was first documented under its modern name in 1506 in the Ottoman customs records, described as an "important centre for the transit trade".<ref name=Stanica/>

Around 1848, it was still a small [[shipyard]] city, being awarded city status in 1860, when it became a province capital. It became a sanjak centre in [[Silistra Province, Ottoman Empire|Silistre Eyaleti]] in 1860 and [[Danube Province, Ottoman Empire|Tuna Vilayeti]] in 1864.

In 1853, ''The Times'' of London noted that "Toultcha" was "the last fortified place held by the Turks on the Danube, and which has a garrison of 1,200 men."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1853-12-29-08-004&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1853-12-29-08 |title="The Seat of War on the Danube", ''The Times'', December 29, page 8 |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=January 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230116061605/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878]], Northern Dobruja and specially Tulcea would be the sites of massacres and conflicts between Muslim [[Circassians]] and Christian Bulgarians, Russians, and Ukrainians. The [[Circassians in Romania|Circassians of Dobruja]] had settled there in 1864 after the [[Circassian genocide]], and through their raids to other peoples of the region and handing over part of their gains to the Ottoman authorities, they would end up indirectly financing the construction of buildings that still stand in Tulcea today: the modern [[Tulcea Art Museum]] and the [[Azizyie Mosque]]. The Dobrujan Circassians were expelled from the region after the end of the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.historia.ro/sectiune/general/articol/povestea-dramatica-a-cerchezilor-din-dobrogea |title=Povestea dramatică a cerchezilor din Dobrogea |first=Diana |last=Tița |magazine=Historia |date=September 16, 2018 |language=ro |access-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415011025/https://www.historia.ro/sectiune/general/articol/povestea-dramatica-a-cerchezilor-din-dobrogea |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1878, after the end of the war, Tulcea was awarded to Romania, together with the rest of Northern Dobruja (see [[Congress of Berlin]]). Tulcea was occupied by the [[Central Powers]] between 1916–1918 during [[World War I]], and became part of their condominium following the [[Treaty of Bucharest (1918)|Treaty of Bucharest]] in May 1918 (until November 1918). During that time, the statue of [[Mircea I of Wallachia|Mircea the Elder]] was taken down by [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgarian]] troops, since it was during his reign that [[Dobruja]] was incorporated into [[Wallachia]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://romania.europalibera.org/a/stergerea-memoriei-sau-rescrierea-istoriei-cand-a-daramat-romania-prima-statuie/30665862.html |title=Ștergerea memoriei sau rescrierea istoriei. Când a dărâmat România prima statuie |language=ro |first=Sabina |last=Fati |newspaper=Europa Liberă România |publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Radio Free Europe]] |date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=July 3, 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611213109/https://romania.europalibera.org/a/stergerea-memoriei-sau-rescrierea-istoriei-cand-a-daramat-romania-prima-statuie/30665862.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Climate==
Tulcea's climate is transitional between [[humid continental climate|continental]] and [[Temperate climate| temperate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfa/Cfa''),<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Table 1 Overview of the Köppen-Geiger climate classes including the defining criteria. |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-02549-6/tables/1 |journal=Nature: Scientific Data |language=en |access-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-date=January 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105151210/https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-023-02549-6/tables/1 |url-status=live }}</ref> with cold winters and hot summers. Daily minimum temperatures drop below {{cvt|0|C|F}} for roughly 79.5 days per year from October to April, with 17.2 days where the daily maximum temperature is also below {{cvt|0|C|F}}. Snow cover, on average, is observed for 27.6 days per year.<ref name="WMONormals"/>
{{Weather box
| width = auto
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| location = Tulcea (1991–2020)
| Jan record high C = 19.5
| Feb record high C = 23.5
| Mar record high C = 28.6
| Apr record high C = 31.1
| May record high C = 36.1
| Jun record high C = 36.3
| Jul record high C = 39.9
| Aug record high C = 39.8
| Sep record high C = 34.7
| Oct record high C = 33.0
| Nov record high C = 25.7
| Dec record high C = 20.8
| year record high C = 39.9

| Jan high C = 3.9
| Feb high C = 6.2
| Mar high C = 11.1
| Apr high C = 17.2
| May high C = 23.2
| Jun high C = 27.5
| Jul high C = 29.7
| Aug high C = 29.6
| Sep high C = 24.1
| Oct high C = 17.8
| Nov high C = 11.2
| Dec high C = 5.5
| year high C = 17.2

| Jan mean C = 0.0
| Feb mean C = 1.6
| Mar mean C = 5.8
| Apr mean C = 11.4
| May mean C = 17.3
| Jun mean C = 21.7
| Jul mean C = 23.7
| Aug mean C = 23.1
| Sep mean C = 17.7
| Oct mean C = 12.0
| Nov mean C = 6.7
| Dec mean C = 1.7
| year mean C = 11.9

| Jan low C = -3.3
| Feb low C = -2.0
| Mar low C = 1.6
| Apr low C = 6.3
| May low C = 11.6
| Jun low C = 15.7
| Jul low C = 17.6
| Aug low C = 16.9
| Sep low C = 12.2
| Oct low C = 7.4
| Nov low C = 3.1
| Dec low C = -1.6
| year low C = 7.1

| Jan record low C = -20.9
| Feb record low C = -18.9
| Mar record low C = -15.9
| Apr record low C = -5.0
| May record low C = 0.8
| Jun record low C = 4.6
| Jul record low C = 9.6
| Aug record low C = 7.1
| Sep record low C = 0.6
| Oct record low C = -7.6
| Nov record low C = -13.4
| Dec record low C = -20.7
| year record low C = -20.9

| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 35.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 26.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 33.3
| Apr precipitation mm = 36.4
| May precipitation mm = 43.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 57.2
| Jul precipitation mm = 58.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 31.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 44.8
| Oct precipitation mm = 44.3
| Nov precipitation mm = 41.2
| Dec precipitation mm = 41.9
| year precipitation mm = 494.2

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 4.9
| Feb precipitation days = 5.0
| Mar precipitation days = 5.4
| Apr precipitation days = 5.9
| May precipitation days = 6.3
| Jun precipitation days = 6.0
| Jul precipitation days = 5.4
| Aug precipitation days = 3.6
| Sep precipitation days = 4.3
| Oct precipitation days = 4.5
| Nov precipitation days = 4.7
| Dec precipitation days = 6.1
| year precipitation days = 62.1

| Jan sun = 80.9
| Feb sun = 111.5
| Mar sun = 159.2
| Apr sun = 212.3
| May sun = 280.4
| Jun sun = 306.7
| Jul sun = 339.7
| Aug sun = 314.3
| Sep sun = 232.0
| Oct sun = 163.9
| Nov sun = 92.8
| Dec sun = 77.1
| year sun = 2370.8

| source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name="WMONormals">{{cite web |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Romania/CSV/Tulcea_15335.csv |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Tulcea |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=January 11, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112051719/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Romania/CSV/Tulcea_15335.csv |url-status=live }}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteomanz (extremes since 2021)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy3?l=1&cou=2050&ind=15335&m1=01&y1=2009&m2=06&y2=2024 |title=TULCEA - Weather data by month |access-date=2 October 2025 |website=meteomanz}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
At the [[2021 Romanian census|2021 census]] Tulcea had a population of 65,624 with a majority of [[Romanians]] (74.83%) with minorities of [[Lipovans]] (1.9%), [[Romani people|Roma]] (1.57%), [[Turks in Europe|Turks]] (0.67%), [[Ukrainians]] (0.42%), [[Greeks]] (0.27%), [[Bulgarians]] (0.03%), others (0.38%) and unknown (19.93%). 

At the [[2011 Romanian census|2011 census]] Tulcea had a population of 73,707 with a majority of [[Romanians]] (83.37%) with minorities of [[Lipovans]] (2.36%), [[Romani people|Roma]] (1.29%), [[Turks in Europe|Turks]] (1.11%), [[Ukrainians]] (0.51%), [[Greeks]] (0.28%), [[Bulgarians]] (0.02%), others (0.53%) and unknown (10.53%).

Most of the indigenous [[Bulgarians]] left the city after the [[Treaty of Craiova]].

{{Historical populations
|align=left
|source = Census data
|1912 |21727
|1930 |20403
|1948 |21642
|1956 |24639
|1966 |35561
|1977 |61729
|1992 |97904
|2002 |92762
|2011 |73707
|2021 |65624
}}
{| class="wikitable"
! Ethnicity
! 2011
!2021
|-
| Total
| 73,707
|65,624
|-
| Romanian
| 61,451 (83.37%)
|49,108 (74.83%)
|-
| [[Lipovans|Lipovan]]
| 1,738 (2.36%)
|1,244 (1.9%)
|-
| [[Romani people|Roma]]
| 953 (1.29%)
|1,031 (1.57%)
|-
| [[Turkish people|Turkish]]
| 819 (1.11%)
|438 (0.67%)
|-
| [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]]
| 376 (0.51%)
|278 (0.42%)
|-
| [[Greeks|Greek]]
| 208 (0.28%)
|178 (0.27%)
|-
|[[Bulgarians|Bulgarian]]
|15 (0.02%)
|17 (0.03%)
|-
| Others
| 385 (0.53%)
|251 (0.38%)
|-
| Unknown
| 7762 (10.53%)
|13,079 (19.93%)
|}
{{clear left}}

==Culture==
Tulcea is the site of the "George Georgescu Contest", a music competition created by teachers at the Tulcea Arts High School and held annually since 1992. Named in honor of the conductor [[George Georgescu]] (1887–1964), an important figure in the development of Romanian classical music who was born in the Tulcea county, the contest was at first open only to Romanian music school and high school students but began admitting international students in 1995. Organizers include the Romanian Ministry of Education and Youth, the Education Board of Tulcea County, the Tulcea County Council, the Tulcea Mayoralty, and surviving members of Georgescu's family.<ref name=Contest2>[http://www.concursulgeorgegeorgescu.ro/istoricen.html Historical notes of Concursul George Georgescu 2008 International Contest for Performing Artists, Tulcea, Romania accessed March 29, 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006223728/http://www.concursulgeorgegeorgescu.ro/istoricen.html |date=October 6, 2011 }}</ref>
[[File:Puerto de Tulcea, Rumanía, 2016-05-28, DD 42.jpg|thumb|Port of Tulcea (2016)]]
[[File:Tulcea-19thcentury-BGRod.png|thumb|300px|right|Tulcea at the end of the 19th century]]
The Monument of Independence represents one of the main attractions of the city, because of its placement and of the panoramic view that it offers. It is located on the same hill as the ruins of Aegyssus and the history museum. The monument itself is represented by an obelisk with a statue of an eagle on one side and the statue of a soldier on the other. The monument was erected to commemorate the [[Romanian War of Independence|War of Independence]] that made Dobruja part of Romania. Construction began on October 17, 1879, in the presence of Prince [[Carol I of Romania]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.info-delta.ro/vestigii-istorice-39/monumentul-independentei---tulcea-94.html |title=Monumentul Independenței – Tulcea |language=ro |date=November 3, 2008 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308081956/https://www.info-delta.ro/vestigii-istorice-39/monumentul-independentei---tulcea-94.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:The Monument at night.jpg|thumb|The Monument of independence - Tulcea]]
[[File:View from the monument hill Tulcea.jpg|thumb|The city viewed from the top of the monument hill at night]]
The main high school is the [[Spiru Haret Dobrujan College]].

==Notable people==
* [[Crin Antonescu]] (born 1959), former [[President of the Senate of Romania|President]] of the [[Senate of Romania]] and acting [[President of Romania]] in 2012
* [[Georges Boulanger (violinist)|Georges Boulanger]] (1893–1958), violinist
* [[Alexandru Ciucurencu]] (1903–1977), painter
* [[Stefan Karadzha]] (1840–1868), Bulgarian revolutionary, studied in Tulcea and is associated with the town
* [[Grigore Moisil]] (1906–1973), mathematician
* [[Dimitar Petkov]] (1858–1907), Bulgarian Prime Minister
* [[Mirela Roznoveanu]] (born 1947), literary critic, writer, and journalist
* [[Valentin Serbu]] (1934–1994), writer
* [[Tora Vasilescu]] (born 1951), actress

== Twin towns – sister cities ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Romania}}

Tulcea is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Strategia de dezvoltare a municipiului Tulcea 2014–2020 |url=https://www.primariatulcea.ro/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Strategia_Dezv_Tulcea_FINAL.pdf |website=primariatulcea.ro |publisher=Tulcea |page=89 |language=ro |access-date=November 5, 2020 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112204004/https://www.primariatulcea.ro/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Strategia_Dezv_Tulcea_FINAL.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Aalborg]], Denmark
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Altena, North Brabant|Altena]], Netherlands
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Amasya]], Turkey
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Aprilia, Lazio|Aprilia]], Italy
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Fratta Polesine]], Italy
* {{flagicon|GRC}} [[Ilion, Greece|Ilion]], Greece
* {{flagicon|UKR}} [[Izmail]], Ukraine
* {{flagicon|CYP}} [[Larnaca]], Cyprus
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Mudanya]], Turkey
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Rovigo]], Italy
* {{flagicon|BUL}} [[Shumen Municipality|Shumen]], Bulgaria
<!--Saint-Nazaire - not twinning-->
{{div col end}}

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist|2}}

'''Bibliography'''
* Brătianu, G. I., Les Bulgares à Cetatea Albă (Akkerman) au debut du XIVeme siècle-Byz, 2, 1926, 153-168
* Laiou, A. E., Constantinople and the Latins (Foreign Policy of Andronicus II, 1282–1328). Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1972.
* Nicephorus, p.&nbsp;34
* Theophanes, p.&nbsp;357-358

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tulcea}}
* [http://www.primaria-tulcea.ro/ Tulcea City Hall]

{{Tulcea County}}
{{RoJudCapitals}}
{{Danube}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Tulcea| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Romania]]
[[Category:Capitals of Romanian counties]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Romania]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Danube]]
[[Category:Romania–Ukraine border crossings]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 7th century BC]]
[[Category:Byzantine sites in Romania]]
[[Category:Populated places in Tulcea County]]
[[Category:Localities in Northern Dobruja]]
[[Category:Roman towns and cities in Romania]]