Callatis Fortress
Some of the artifacts are excellently preserved and put to use (such as the wall and the objects discovered, which are stored in the basement of New Belvedere Hotel), others succumbed to degradation or were even destroyed during the subsequent urbanistic developments. The Callatis Fortress is a landmark among the tourist spots of Mangalia.
- Historic monument category A; code LMI CT-I-m-A-02696
- The Roman and Roman-Byzantine Fortress was established in the 6th century B.C. (according to some sources) or in the 4th century B.C. (according to other sources).
- In Mangalia, the perimeter between the Spa Sanatorium, the Culture Hall, Constanței Street, The Mosque and the entrance to the commercial harbor.
The archaeological site of the Callatis Fortress is an ensemble of 12 historic monuments:
- the Roman and Roman-Byzantine Fortress
- Paleochristian Hypogeum tombs with inscriptions;
- basilica
- building
- necropolis
- the defense wall of Callatis
- tumular necropolis
- the Greek colony of Callatis
- the tomb with papyrus
- necropolis
- Scythian vaulted tomb
- site wall
The Callatis Fortress was established by the Greeks of Heracleea and it existed until the first half of the 7th century A.D. It was an important port city, a commercial and craftsmanship center, it had it’s own coin and it functioned by following the democratic rules of the Greek world.
During the Roman and Roman-Byzantine period, since the 4th century B.C., it was the seat of an important Christian episcopate.
