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Dac` [tii s`-l cau]i, departele poate fi mai aproape decåt crezi. Nu-i nevoie s`parcurgi jum`tate din circumferin]a terestr` ca s` descoperi oameni, credin]e [i– întrucât subiectul ne preocup` – cl`diri aparte, cu alt` fire [i alc`tuire decâtcele ce credem c` unanim ne înconjoar`. Saltul peste meridiane, de care sun-tem scuti]i, l-au f`cut cu veacuri în urm`, în momente diverse, cu n`zuin]ediverse, coloni[ti de felurite neamuri, avånd ca numitor comun legea islamu-lui. Dup` trecerea multor genera]ii [i administra]ii, au devenit cu des`vår[ire ailocului, pe care, dup` vorba din b`trâni, l-au sfin]it. Printre altele [i cu un grupde monumente cu totul aparte: geamiile dobrogene.

If you know where to look, far, far away can be much nearer than you mightthink. You needn't look half a world away to discover people, beliefs and –since we're interested in the subject – unique buildings, different in both makeand character from what we unanimously assume constitutes our surround-ings. We no longer need to leap over meridians because the leap was in fact per-petrated centuries ago, at various moments in time, with diverse goals in mind,by colonists of different ethnicities, all linked by the common denominatorthat is the law of Islam. Many generations and administrations later, they werecompletely integrated in their new environment. They were now the peoplewho, as an old saying goes, sanctified the place with their presence, but alsowith a very special group of monuments: Dobrogean mosques.

Cristian Br`c`cescu

MINARETE PE CERUL DOBROGEI

MINARETS IN A DOBROGEA SKY

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Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Na]ionale a RomânieiGeamii: Minarete pe cerul Dobrogei - Minarets in a Dobrogea sky

ed. coord. pref.: Bruno Andre[oiu; texte: Cristian Br`c`cescu, Mihai Maxim; trad.: Smaranda Nicolau; foto: {erban Bonciocat; graf.: C`t`lin ArtenieBucure[ti: Igloo, 2012Bibliogr.ISBN 978-606-8026-18-3

I. Andre[oiu, Bruno (coord.; pref.)II. Br`c`cescu, Cristian (text)III. Maxim, Mihai (text)IV. Nicolau, Smaranda (trad.)V. Bonciocat, {erban (foto.)VI. Artenie, C`t`lin (graf.)

726.2(498.8)(084)

Toate drepturile sunt rezervate. Ele sunt protejate de legile în vigoare privitoare la dreptul de autor. Orice reproducere total` sau în detaliu, prin orice fel de mijloace de copiere sau transmisie, esteinterzis` f`r` acordul editurii Igloo Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, ortransmi tted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of Igloo Media.

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PREFA}~ /FOREWORD

GEAMII DIN ROMÅNIA 6MOSQUES OF ROMANIA

SCURT�ISTORIC /A BRIEF HISTORYCOMUNITATEA MUSULMAN~ DIN DOBROGEA 8THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN DOBROGEA

INTRODUCERE /INTRODUCTIONDOBROGEA, CU GEAMIILE EI 14DOBROGEA AND ITS MOSQUES

GEAMII DIN�DOBROGEA /HART~ 16MOSQUES FROM DOBROGEA /MAP

GEAMII MONUMENT�ISTORICMOSQUES HISTORICAL MONUMENT

CAROL 1 - CONSTAN}A 18HUNCHIAR - CONSTAN}A 34ALI GAZI PA{A - BABADAG 42ESMAHAN SULTAN - MANGALIA 60MAHMUD - HÅR{OVA 78AZIZIYE - TULCEA 88HUNCHIAR - CERNAVOD~ 98MESTAN AGA - M~CIN 112MAHMUD YAZICI - ISACCEA 124ABDUL MEDGID - MEDGIDIA 136GIUMA - AMZACEA 146

SUMAR /CONTENTS

GEAMII�DOBROGENEDOBROGEAN�MosQues

PEISAJ�DOBROGEAN 152DOBROGEAN�LANDSCAPE

ANADALCHIOI - CONSTAN}A 155F~UREI 156HAGIENI 160GR~DINA 162COBADIN 164TECHIRGHIOL 166CIUCUROVA 168DULCE{TI 170MOVILI}A 171COTU V~II 172TUZLA 173NISIPARI 174CIOCÅRLIA 176VALUL�LUI�TRAIAN 178OSMANCEA 179LAZU 180DOBROMIR 181TOPRAISAR 182ALBE{TI 184BREBENI 188ABRUD 190

CIMITIRE /CEMETERIESCIOCÅRLIA DE� SUS 192VADU 193GENERAL PRAPORGESCU 194

GLOSAR /GLOSSARY 196BIBLIOGRAFIE /BIBLYOGRAPHY 198

M I N A R E T E P E C E R U L D O B R O G E I

14 INTRODUCERE

Dac` [tii s`-l cau]i, departele poate fi mai aproapedecåt crezi. Nu-i nevoie s` parcurgi jum`tate din

circumferin]a terestr` ca s` descoperi oameni, credin]e[i – întrucât subiectul ne preocup` – cl`diri aparte, cualt` fire [i alc`tuire decât cele ce credem c` unanim neînconjoar`. Saltul peste meridiane, de care suntemscuti]i, l-au f`cut cu veacuri în urm`, în momentediverse, cu n`zuin]e diverse, coloni[ti de felurite nea-muri, avånd ca numitor comun legea islamului. Dup`trecerea multor genera]ii [i administra]ii, au devenitcu des`vår[ire ai locului, pe care, dup` vorba dinb`trâni, l-au sfin]it. Printre altele [i cu un grup demonumente cu totul aparte: geamiile dobrogene.Începând cu veacul al 15-lea [i pân` în contemporanei-tate, geamiile jaloneaz` existen]a popula]iei musulmaneîn Dobrogea. Aceast` prezen]`, amalgam cu compo-nente istorice [i etnice distincte, succede [i interfereaz`file de cronici datorate altor neamuri [i civiliza]ii. Pu]inelocuri în lume, niciun altul în România, au o mai maredensitate stratigrafic` decât acesta, adev`rat p`mânt alf`g`duin]ei pentru arheologi [i istorici. Vântul marilorstepe i-a modelat colinele, a vânturat semin]e de ier-buri nomade [i semin]ii de noroade multicolore, dinstepele Asiei [i din Levantul elenistic [i otoman.Frunz`rind istoria, s-ar zice c` Dobrogea are voca]ia dea fi col] de împ`r`]ie. Cinci imperii au acoperit-o, înmomentul lor de flux maxim, f`r` a-i trece grani]a înpartea cealalt`. Scithia Minor era loc consacrat de exilpentru cet`]enii romani incomozi. Publius OvidiusNaso, expediat la Tomis din motive înc` neelucidate,este vårful ilustru al aisbergului. Putem presupune c`,aidoma lui, o cohort` de exila]i anonimi au contribuitla prestigiul nefast al provinciei. Successor al Romei,Bizan]ul grecesc s-a str`duit sute de ani s`-[i sus]in`grani]a nordic` în Dobrogea, cu retrageri [i revenirisuccesive, de la Aegissus [i Noviodunum la Enisala,Carsium, apoi Axiopolis [i Constantia, marcate prinlimes-uri înc` vizibile. Cavaleria celui mai întinsimperiu din toate timpurile, incizat pe hart` cu arcul[i cu iataganul de c`tre Genghis Han [i acoli]ii s`i, [i-a ad`pat ocazional caii în undele Senei; dar cel maivestic teritoriu locuit stabil de urma[ii Hoardei de Aur,tot Dobrogea a fost. Apoi, timp de patru secole [ijum`tate, Dobrogea apare ca o mic` protuberan]`, un

If you know where to look, far, far away can be much near-er than you might think. You needn't look half a world awayto discover people, beliefs and – since we're interested in thesubject – unique buildings, different in both make and char-acter from what we unanimously assume constitutes oursurroundings. We no longer need to leap over meridiansbecause the leap was in fact perpetrated centuries ago, at var-ious moments in time, with diverse goals in mind, bycolonists of different ethnicities, all linked by the commondenominator that is the law of Islam. Many generations andadministrations later, they were completely integrated intheir new environment. They were now the people who, asan old saying goes, sanctified the place with their presence,but also with a very special group of monuments:Dobrogean mosques.Browsing through its history, one might get a sense thatDobrogea was destined to be the corner of an empire. At theheight of their influence, five different empires spanned asfar as Dobrogea, though neither actually crossed its borderson the other side. Schitia Minor was the consecrated exilespot for Roman citizens who caused any kind of distress tothe authorities. Publius Ovidius Naso, shipped off to Tomisfor reasons that remain a mistery, is merely the illustrioustip of that iceberg. Based on the laws of physics we mayassume that an entire cohort of like-spirited exiles con-tributed to the ill repute of the province. Successor of Rome,Greek Byzantium struggled for hundreds of years to hold itsNorthern border in Dobrogea, in a series of retreats andcomebacks, from Aegissus to Enisala, Novodiunum, P\cuiullui Soare, all marked by invisible ‘limes’ (Latin for ‘limit’).The cavalry of the largest empire of all times, branded intothe map with bows and arrows and yataghans by GenghisKhan and his acolytes occasionally let their horses drinkfrom the river Seine; but the westernmost territory inhabit-ed by the successors of the Golden Hoard was yet againDobrogea. After that time, for four and a half centuries,Dobrogea appears as a small protuberance, a whim of theDanube on the border of the Ottoman Empire. Subjects ofthe Sublime Porte were never allowed to go beyond this lineto settle in Karaiflak of Karabogdan, despite the Sultan'susual tolerance of Wallachia and Moldavia. The absence ofmosques – at least up until the 1900s – in this region is botha consequence of this fact and testament to it. Finally, to fin-ish off the list, we have two flash episodes of Slavic occupa-tion: in the year 968 Tsar Sviatoslav pushed the border ofKievian Russia to Silistra and moved the capital toPereiaslavec (Little Slavec in Slavonian - today Nuf`ru com-mune), where it remained up until 971 when he was defeat-ed by Ioan Tzimiskes who re-established Byzantine rule;

DOBROGEA, CU GEAMIILE�EIDOBROGEA AND ITS MOSQUES

M I N A R E T S I N � A D O B R O G E A � S K Y

15 INTRODUCTION

then, beginning in the summer of 1877 and ending in Aprilof 1878, Dobrogea found itself under Russian military rule.Mirroring the evolution of the Ottoman Empire as surveyedby Dimitrie Cantemir, Dobrogean settlements also experi-enced spells of growth and flourishing, alternating withperiods of recession. At the height of their glory, these townsboasted as many as five and sometimes even ten mosques.It is difficult to estimate their numbers in the 17th and 18thcenturies. It is, however a known fact that there were 238mosques in Dobrogea in the year 1900. At present there are77 mosques in the region, of which the most and oldestwere built since the 15th century. The mosque in Timi[oarawas erected in 1670, back when the Banat was a pashalic.The other mosques in the country date back to the 20th cen-tury.Although a marginal province, Dobrogea held the interest ofits rulers. The mosques in Tulcea, Medgidia, Cernavod`,Hår[ova, Mangalia, and the two mosques in Constan]a bearthe distinctive mark of the sultans in the name or memoryof whom they were built. For the most part, the interest theregion held was economic. Through successive colonization,the barren, arid land of this sanjak had become, by the 17thcentury, the kingdom's granary. Most of the 250 tons ofcereal swallowed up on a daily basis by the ovens ofIstanbul was imported from Dobrogean markets and ports.‘Geamia’, mosque – or ‘mesgid’ – means gathering, commu-nity, meeting. As far the architectural program goes, there isnothing simpler: any clean place where one may walk bare-foot can become a mosque. In terms of volumetrics, like-wise: a cube, to which a pointy cylinder is attached. The spa-tial significance is clear: the prayer room is rectangular,almost square shaped; the side pointing towards Mecca iswider. The community of believers gather in a unified space,without hierarchies. At the prescribed hours, the call toprayer is emitted circularly, in every direction, above andbeyond any other building or pursuit. The minaret, a specialstructure specific to mosques, received two great gifts inDobrogea: limestone, easily rounded with rudimentarytools, and the seismic stability of the Hercynic block to stim-ulate its slenderness. From the 15th century to this day, themosque has been a measure of the existence of Muslim pop-ulations in Dobrogea. This presence, which includes distinc-tive historic and ethnic components, follows and interfereswith pages of history that are owed to many more peoplesand civilizations.

capriciu al Dun`rii, pe frontiera Imperiului Otoman.Supu[ii Sublimei Por]i nu aveau îng`duin]a de adep`[i aceast` linie, pentru a se stabili în Karaiflaksau în Karabogdan, oricåt de mari ar fi fost influen]asau ingerin]a sultanului în Valahia [i Moldova.Absen]a moscheilor – cel pu]in pån` la 1900 – dinaceste ]`ri e o consecin]` [i o m`rturie. În fine, pentruca lista s` fie complet`, dou` fulgurante episoade deocupa]ie slav`: în anul 968, ]arul Sviatoslav împingegrani]a Rusiei Kievene pån` la Silistra [i mut` capita-la la Pereiaslave] (Micul Slave], în slavon` – azicomuna Nufaru), pån` în 971, cånd este înfrånt deIoan Tzimiskes, care restabile[te domina]ia bizantin`;iar din vara lui 1877, pån` în aprilie 1878, cånd e pre-luat` de autorit`]ile române, Dobrogea a stat subadministra]ie militar` ruseasc`.În România sunt 67 de geamii [i moschei, cele maivechi [i mai multe în Dobrogea. De[i era o provinciel`turalnic` a imperiului, multe geamii dobrogenesunt ctitorite de sultani. Moscheea din Timi[oara eridicat` la 1670, pe cånd Banatul era pa[alâc.Celelalte geamii din ]ar` dateaz` din secolul XX. Ca program de arhitectur`, nimic mai simplu: oriceloc curat, în care po]i p`[i descul], poate fi geamie. Cavolumetrie, a[ijderea: un cub, de care se alipe[te uncilindru ]uguiat. Semnifica]ia spa]ial` e clar`: sala derug`ciune are propor]ia unui dreptunghi apropiat dep`trat; dimensiunea îndreptat` spre Mecca e pu]inmai mare. Comunitatea credincio[ilor e reunit` într-un spa]iu unitar, f`r` ierarhie. La anumite ore,chemarea la rug`ciune e lansat` circular, în toatez`rile, mai presus de orice alte cl`diri [i procup`ri. Minaretul, structur` special` [i specific` geamiilor, ac`p`tat de la p`mântul dobrogean dou` mari daruri:piatra de calcar, ce se las` blând rotunjit` cu unelteelementare, [i stabilitatea seismic` a blocului hercinic,care i-a stimulat svelte]ea.Geamia jaloneaz`, din veacul al 15-lea [i pân` în con-temporaneitate, existen]a popula]iei musulmane înDobrogea. Aceast` prezen]`, ce include componenteistorice [i etnice distincte, succede [i interfereaz` filede istorie datorate multor alte neamuri [i civiliza]ii.

Cristian Br`c`cescu

23 AUGUSTABRUDAGIGEAALBE{TIAMZACEABABADAGBREBENICASTELUCERNAVOD~CIOB~NI}ACIOCÅRLIACIOCÅRLIA DE� SUSCIUCUROVACOBADINCONSTAN}A (ANADALCHIOI)CONSTAN}A (CAROL� 1)CONSTAN}A (HUNCHIAR)COTU V~IICUMP~NADOBROMIRDULCE{TIEFORIE� SUDF~UREIFÅNTÅNA MAREGENERAL PRAPORGESCUGR~DINAHAGIENI

HÅR{OVAINDEPENDEN}AISACCEALAZULIMANULUMINAM~CINMANGALIAMEDGIDIAMERENIMIHAIL�KOG~LNICEANUMOVILI}AMURFATLARNISIPARIOSMANCEAOVIDIUPALAZU�MAREPOARTA�ALB~SILI{TEATECHIRGHIOLTOPRAISARTULCEATUZLAVADUVALEA DACILORVALUL�LUI�TRAIANVÅRTOP

MONUMENT�ISTORIC / HISTORICAL MONUMENT

GEAMII�PREZENTATE�|N�ALBUM / MOSQUES�PRESENTED�IN�THE�ALBUM

GEAMII�DIN DOBROGEAMOSQUES FROM DOBROGEA

M I N A R E T E � P E � C E R U L � D O B R O G E I

18 MoSCHEEA�CAROL 1. CONSTAN}A

MOSCHEEA CAROL 1CONSTAN}A

Dobrogea a \nceput s` fie cunoscut` opiniei publiceeuropene abia \n secolul al XIX-lea, datorit`

r`zboaielor ruso-turce. Fran]a a trimis \n 1828 o misiunemilitar` ata[at` suitei ]arului, iar \n 1854 trupe franceze aucomb`tut al`turi de cele otomane. Dintre ofi]erii francezi,mul]i aveau o educa]ie ce dep`[ea zidurile caz`rmii. Atra[i deineditul [i exotismul campaniei \n care erau angrena]i, autrimis imagini [i relat`ri. R`zboiul Crimeei a fost primul con-flict asistat de coresponden]i de r`zboi – francezi, englezi, ger-mani [i ru[i. Gravuri incizate dup` desene f`cute la fa]a locu-lui au ap`rut \n jurnalele vremii. |n panorama „GorodKistendji”, litografiat` de letonul W. Georg Timm – dar [i \naltele – cele cåteva c`su]e ale a[ez`rii sunt dominate deminaretul unei moschei. Nu poate fi decåt moscheea Mah -mudia, ridicat` \n 1823 de c`tre Hafuz Husein Pa[a, \n tim-pul domniei sultanului Mahmud II (1808-1839). I s-a p`stratnumai locul mihrabului [i traseul peretelui sudic, perpendi-cular pe quibla, direc]ia spre Mecca. Au fost preluate de nouamoschee, cea mai prestigioas` din ]ar`, construit` \ntre 1910[i 1913 la st`ruin]a regelui Carol I, din fondurile regatului. Politica \n]eleapt` [i de sincer` bun`-voin]` a principeluiCarol fa]` de comunitatea musulman` s-a v`dit \nc` din1878, cånd, prin discursul adresat armatei [i adminis tra]iei ceurma s` preia Dobrogea, a interzis cu str`[nicie orice act ostilfa]` de viitorii s`i supu[i, indiferent de religie sau de etnie,asiguråndu-le deplina respectare a drepturilor, a bunurilor [ia credin]ei. La marea expozi]ie aniversar` g`zduit` \n 1906 deparcul Carol din Bucure[ti, singurele cl`diri zidite dinc`r`mid` au fost „Cetatea lui }epe[” [i „Moscheea Turceasc`”,restul pavilioanelor, din material perisabil, fiind demolatedup` eveniment. Moscheea a fost d`ruit` comunit`]ii islami -ce din ora[, care a folosit-o pån` \n 1959. D`råmat` pentru aface loc Mausoleului din noul Parc al Libert`]ii, ea a fostref`cut` pe actualul amplasament din str. M`nescu. E astfel de \n]eles c` la ridicarea moscheii din Constan]a nus-au precupe]it fonduri, competen]e profesionale [i festivi -t`]i publice. La 24 iunie 1910, un document oficial a fostdepus \n funda]ie, dup` ceremonia religioas` [i cuvenitelediscursuri, de c`tre muftiul jude]ului, asistat de Spiru Haret,ministru al Cultelor [i Instruc]iunii Publice, [i deambasadorul otoman. Lucr`rile [antierului au fost condusede inginerul Ion Niculcea. Victor G. Stephanescu, arhitectcoordonator al expozi]iei din 1906, a \ntocmit proiectul,pentru care a fost decorat de c`tre sultanul Abdul Hamid IIcu ordinul Medgidie, \n grad de comandor. |n planul [i \nvolu metria moscheii putem descifra, adaptat, modelul \n

Dorbrogea only became known to European public opinion inthe 19th century, thanks to the Russian-Turkish wars. Francesent a military mission attached to the armies of the Tsar, andthen in 1854 the French armies fought alongside the Ottomans.Among French officers, many were educated well beyond thewalls of their barracks. Drawn to the exoticity of the campaignthey were taking part in, they sent home pictures and stories.The Crimean war was the first military conflict ever to have beenwitnessed by war correspondents – French, English, Germanand Russian. Engravings made after drawings done on the spotwere featured in the journals of the age. In the 'Gorod Kistendji'panorama lithographed by Letonian W. Georg Timm – and inother such works as well – the few households of the settlementwere dominated by the minaret of a mosque. It could only havebeen the Mahmudia mosque, erected in 1823 by Hafuz HusseinPasha, during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839). Allthat was left of it was the place where the mihrab once stoodand the trace of its southern wall, perpendicular to the quibla,the direction of Mecca. Both were integrated to the new mosquebuilt in 1910-1913 at the request of King Charles the 1st – it wasfunded by the Kingdom and would soon become the most pres-tigious in the country.The wise and sincere policy of goodwill adopted by King Charlestowards the Muslim community was evident from 1878 when ina discourse addressed to the army and administartion that wasabout to take over Dobrogea, he strongly forbade any hostile actstowards his future subjects, regardless of their religion and eth-nicity, ensuring that their rights, possessions and faith would befully abided. At the great anniversary exhibit hosted in 1906 inCharles Park in Bucharest, the only brick buildings were the'}epe[ Fortress' and the 'Turkish Mosque,' the rest of the pavilionshaving been built with perishable materials, to be torn downafter the event. The mosque was given as a gift to the Islamiccommunity in the city, who made use of it until 1959. Torndown to make room for the Mausoleum in the new FreedomPark, it was rebuilt on its current site on M`nescu Street.It is understood that no expense, professional competency orpublic festivity was spared in the building of the Constan]amosque. On the 24th of June 1910, after the religious ceremo-ny and the due discourses, an official document was filed for thelaying of the foundation by the Mufti of the county, assisted bySpiru Haret, Minister of Religions and Public Instruction along-side the Ottoman ambassador. Works on site were led by eng.Ion Niculcea. Victor G. Stephanescu, the coordinating architectfor the exhibit in 1906 was also in charge of this design, forwhich he received a decoration from Sultan Abdul Hamid II,with the order Medgidie and the rank of commandor. The planelayout and volumetric sketch of the mosque allows us to deci-phre an adapted model of the same Greek cross enscribed in the



church of Curtea de Arge[. The central dome, much wider thanin Romanian churches and pierced at the base by arched win-dows, could be compared, on a different scale, to the SaintSophia in Constantinopole, or to the great mosque in Konia.The architectural decorations include elements of Arabic, Neo-Romanian and Byzantine inspiration, with some touches ofjugendstil. All of these resemblances are, however, an approxi-mation, as the project is very complex and original in the high-est degree. To conceive this difficult structure, the help of emi-nent engineer Gogu Constantinescu was requested. In 1910,armed concrete was an avantgarde construction system (theonly precedent in Romania was the small Charles Bridge, thework of the same engineer, dating back to 1906). The differen-tiated thickness of the concrete shell, reaching less than 8cm atthe center of the vault, is proof of the great skill of its designer.No less impressive is the conformation of the minaret. The out-ter skin and the central spindle are linked with concrete steps,forming a unified structure.The regal display that was the inauguration of the mosque tookplace on the 31st of May, 1913, on a Holy Friday. King Charles– who had paid a previous visit to the site the year before –Queen Elizabeth, Take Ionescu, Minister of Religions, Seffa Bey,ambassador of Turkey, foreign diplomats, high ranking officersand others all came in from Bucharest to attend the ceremony.From Istabul, by ship, arrived Mamut Esad Efendi, Minister ofthe Cadaster and personal envoy of the Sultan, along with a del-egation of distinguished Muslim clerics. They were greated withhonors by: Prefect Irimescu, Mayor Solacolu, Turkish CouncilKadri Bey, officers, magistrates, Muslim and Orthodox clerics,soldiers, school children and people of the town. After the hatipperformed the ceremony and the muezzins, come all the wayfrom Istanbul, gave their speeches followed by the King'sresponse, in the courtyard of the mosque, photographer Ioanideimmortalized the distinguished gathering. Protocol dinners andtown visits followed. As was tradition, rams were sacrificed,their meat given to the needy. The festivities went on for twodays and are faithfully recorded in documents, the press andprivate correspondance.The edifice is fully worth all of the ceremonies by which it wasinaugurated. Not just for the novelty of the mixture betweenarmed concrete and masonry or for its judiciously distributedand attractive decorations, but mostly for its significance and forthe manner in which it responds to its calling. Before settingfoot in the courtyard, from the arch of the gateway an inscrip-tion in Arabic reminds devout believers of their duty to performtheir five daily prayers. On each side of the courtyatd, a porticowith Mudéjar arches and an Arabic crown shelters the abdestfountains. Crossing through the confusing space of the streetinto the house of worship you pass beneath three differentgates, each given a distinct and very interesting treatment by thearchitect. The first gate stands guard over the entrance into theyard, and we have mentioned it above. The second is anextremely tall portal with a zig-zagged arch, that allows accessinto the vestibule; a twisted belt typical of Romanian architec-ture is vertically positioned as pivot for the pillars at the base ofthe archway. The final door is that of the mosque itself, a black-marble swinging door articulated with huge bronze locks.

cruce greac` \nscris` al bisericii domne[ti din Curtea deArge[. Cupola central`, mult mai larg` decåt la bisericileromåne[ti [i str`puns` la baz` de ferestre arcate, poate ficomparat`, la alt` scar`, cu Sfånta Sofia din Constantinopolsau cu moscheea mare din Konia. Decorul arhitecturalinclude elemente de inspira]ie arab`, neo-romåneasc` saubizantin`, cu unele tu[e Jugendstil. Toate aceste apropierisunt \ns` aproximative, proiectul fiind complex [i de o mareorigina litate. Pentru conceperea acestei dificile structuri afost soli citat eminentul inginer Gogu Constantinescu. La1910, betonul armat era un sistem constructiv de avangard`(singurul precedent \n Romånia, micul pod din ParculCarol, opera aceluia[i inginer, dateaz` din 1906). Grosimeadife ren]iat` a cochiliei de beton, care \n centrul bol]ii scadesub 8 cm, denot` abilitatea proiectantului. Nu mai pu]inimpresionant` este conforma]ia minaretului. Coaja exte-rioar` [i fusul central sunt legate prin treptele de beton, formånd o structur` unitar`. Cu fast regal, inaugurarea s-a ]inut pe 31 mai 1913, \ntr-osfånt` zi de vineri. De la Bucure[ti au sosit regele Carol – caremai f`cuse o vizit` pe [antier \n anul precedent –, reginaElisabeta, Take Ionescu, ministru al Cultelor, Seffa Bey,ambasadorul Turciei, diploma]i str`ini, ofi]eri superiori [ial]ii. De la Istanbul, vaporul „Romånia“ i-a adus pe MamutEsad Efendi, ministru al Cadastrului [i delegat personal al sul-tanului, [i o delega]ie de distin[i clerici musulmani. I-au\ntåmpinat cu onoruri: prefectul Irimescu, primarul Solacolu,consulul turc Kadri Bey, ofi]eri, magistra]i, cler musulman [iortodox, o[teni, [colari, popor. Dup` slujba oficiat` de hatipul [i muezinii veni]i anume de la Istanbul, s-au ]inut dis-cursuri urmate de r`spunsul regelui. |n curtea moscheii,fotograful Ioanide a imortalizat distinsa adunare. Au urmatdineuri de protocol [i vizite \n ora[. Dup` tradi]ie, s-au jertfitberbeci, a c`ror carne a fost distribuit` popula]iei nevoia[e.Festivit`]ile au durat dou` zile [i sunt fidel consemnate \ndocumente, \n pres` [i \n coresponden]a privat`.Edificiul merit` din plin ceremoniile cu care a fost inaugu-rat. Nu doar prin ingenioasa noutate a structurii mixte, dinbeton armat [i zid`rie, sau prin decorul judicios distribuit [iatr`g`tor, ci mai ales prin semnifica]ie [i prin felul \n carer`spunde menirii sale. |nainte de a p`[i \n curte, din arcadaportalului, o inscrip]ie cu caractere arabe reaminte[te celorcucernici datorin]a celor cinci rug`ciuni zilnice. Pe fieceparte lateral` a cur]ii, cåte un portic cu arcade maure [i capi-tel de sorginte arab` ad`poste[te fåntånile pentru abdest.Trecerea din spa]iul bulversant al str`zii \n l`ca[ul de cult seface printr-o succesiune de trei por]i, tratate de arhitect \nmod distinct [i cu maxim interes. Prima este intrarea \ncurte, mai sus-amintit`. A doua este un portal deosebit de\nalt, cu arcada zigzagat`, prin care se intr` \n vestibul; unbråu \n torsada, tipic arhitecturii vechi romåne[ti, epozi]ionat vertical, drept fus al stålpilor de la baza arcadei.Ultima este u[a geamiei, cu batan]i din marmur` neagr`,articula]i cu imense ferec`turi de bronz.



Interiorul e inundat de lumina ce curge de sus, din ochiicupolei, ca [i din ferestrele \nalte ale celor patru pere]i. Olumin` prielnic` pentru culorile vii, risipite din bel[ug pecupol`, pere]i, stålpi, pardoseal`, mobilier. Atåt componen-tele constructive, cåt [i detaliile de arhitectur` sunt realizate cuo remarcabil` acurate]e. Elementul dominant e mihrabul.Cele 99 de \nsu[iri ale lui Allah sunt \nscrise cu litere aurii pefond de cobalt \n chenarul ce-l \nconjoar`. Ni[a rotund` se\ncheie \n partea de sus cu o rev`rsare de stalactite – mici con-sole specifice arhitecturii arabe. Mimberul – din care se predic` vinerea [i \n s`rb`torile mari– [i kürsür-ul – unde se fac lecturi din Coran – sunt sculptatede un membru al familiei Babic, renumit` pentru stranele [iiconostasele lucrate timp de decenii \n bisericile ortodoxe.Citate din Coran, transcrise cu \nflorituri pe care numaicaligrafia arab` le cunoa[te, [i numele sacre ale lui Allah,Mohamed [i ale califilor, s`pate \n marmur`, pictate \n fresc`sau \nscrise pe lehva – medalioane octogonale prezente \ntoate geamiile – \ntregesc ambian]a de ceremonie. |ntre numeroasele covoare ce cople[esc pardoseala, primadona]ie fiind a sultanului Mehmed V, pentru inaugurare, seremarc` un colos de 144 mp. {i acest covor, mig`lit timp de 17ani la Hereke, \n Turcia, este tot un dar imperial. AbdulHamid, predecesorul sultanului Mehmed, l-a oferit, \n 1904,comunit`]ii din Ada Kaleh, de unde a fost adus cu mare greu-tate, c`ci atårn` aproape o jum`tate de ton`, \n 1967, \naintede dispari]ia insulei. Dar nu gabaritul, ci lucr`tura, modelul [iculorile stinse de timp trebuie admirate cu prec`dere. Subsolulgeamiei a fost destinat centralei termice, dotat` cu dou`venera bile cazane de tuci model Aetna, comandate laFrankfurt.|ndr`znea]a structur` proiectat` de Gogu Constantinescu s-adovedit a fi vulnerabil` \n timp. Betonul, inegal compactat delucr`tori neini]ia]i, [i atacat de aerul s`rat al m`rii, a \nceputs` se exfolieze, iar arm`tura s` prind` rugin`. |ntre 1957 [i1958, s-au f`cut laborioase lucr`ri de consolidare, preconizatede acad. ing. Aurel Beles [i urm`rite pe [antier de arh. EugenChefneux. Minaretul, cu o grosime de numai 20 cm la baz` [icare scade spre vårf, a fost c`m`[uit. S-au ref`cut pavajul cur]ii[i trotuarul. |n 1966, s-au \nnoit \nvelitorile de la balconulminaretului [i de la poarta incintei, unde ap`ruser` infiltra]ii.Alte lucr`ri de consolidare s-au efectuat \n 1981 [i \n 1993,ambele coordonate de arh. Kemal Ghenghiomer. Prin aceste periodice interven]ii s-a p`strat integritatea mon-u mentului. Moscheea Carol I, impregnat` de personali tateailustr` a fondatorului, reprezentativ` pentru cultul [i pentrucomunitatea musulman` din Romånia, e \n acela[i timp unreper solid al debutului arhitecturii autohtone moderne.

The interior is flooded in the light pouring in from above, fromthe eye of the dome, as well as from the tall windows on all ofthe four walls. A good light for the bright colours lavishly sprin-kled all over the dome, the walls, the pillars, the floor, the fur-niture. The components of the construction as well as the archi-tectural details are done with remarkable accuracy. The mihrabis the centerpiece. The 99 qualities of Allah are enscribed ingolden letters on a cobalt background in the frame that sur-rounds it. The rounded niche is covered in a wave of stalactites– small cantilevers, characteristic of Arabic architecture.The Mimber – from where sermons are held on Fridays and onevery big holiday – and the kürsür, were readings from the Koranare carried out – are sculpted by a member of the Babic family,renowned for the pews and iconostases crafted, for decades, forOrthodox churches. Quotes from the Koran transcribed withflourishes encountered only in Arabic calligraphy, as well as thesacred names of Allah, Mohamed and the caliphs, carved intomarble or enscribed on lehvas – octogonal medallions present inall mosques – fill out the ceremonial atmosphere.Among the many carpets ovewhelming the floor, aside from thevery first donation to the mosque, owed to sultan Mehmed Vand given on the occasion of the inauguration, one colossal144sqm carpet stands out. Another imperial gift, this carpet waslabored on for 17 years in Hereke, Turkey. Abdul Hamid, thepredecessor of sultan Mehmed, offered it to the community inAda Kaleh, from whence it was trasnported with great difficulty(it weighs nearly half a ton) in 1967, before the island disap-peared. It is not its size as much as its fabric, model and nowwashed-out colours that invite and deserve admiration.The basement of the mosque was meant to shelter a heating sta-tion equipped with two Aetna woodstove boilers ordered fromFrankfurt.The bold structure designed by Gogu Constantinescu proved, intime, to be vulnerable. The concrete had been unevenly com-pacted by uninitiated workers, then attacked by the salty sea air,until finally it began to expholiate and its armed braces beganto rust. Between 1957-1958, extensive consolidation workswere carried out according to a project by academician engineerAurel Bele[ and overseen on site by arch. Eugen Chefneux. Theminaret, measuring a mere 20cm at the base and getting gradu-ally thinner towards the top, was lined. The courtyard pavementand sidewalk were repaired. In 1966 the covers for the minaretbalcony and the enclosure gate were redone, having suffereddamage from infiltration. Other consolidation works were car-ried out between 1981 and 1993, both coordinated by arch.Kemal Ghenghiomer.Throughout these periodical interventions, the integrity of themonument was preserved. The Charles the 1st Mosque, impreg-nated with the illustrious personality of its founder, representa-tive for the Muslim culture and communities of Romania, is atthe same time a solid landmark of the debut of modern localarchitecture.


34 GEAMIA�HUNCHIAR. CoNSTAN}A

GEAMIA HUNCHIAR CONSTAN}A

Corabia lui Iason, cel prigonit de oameni, dar ocrotit dezei, t`ia cu mare grab` talazurile Pontului Euxin. Pe

lâng` Lâna de Aur, la bord se afla [i Medeea, fiica regeluiAietes, r`pite din Colchida. Palmele vâsla[ilor, zadarnicînf`[ate în cârpe umede, picurau sânge. Flotila regeluip`guba[ se apropia implacabil. Ingenioasa Medeea recurgela o stratagem` criminal`: î[i tran[eaz` fratele mai mic [i îirisipe[te trupul în valuri. Obliga]i de cutum` s`-i asigurefuneralii princiare, urm`ritorii z`bovesc, iar nava Argos dis-pare la orizont.Aceasta e legenda mediatizat` a vechiului Tomis, factorie anegustorilor greci din Milet – secolul al VII-lea \.Hr. Maiîntemeiat` documentar e ipoteza fond`rii ora[ului de c`treTomiris, regina sci]ilor. Cucerit de romani în anul 71 \.Hr. [iinclus în Imperiu din 106 d.Hr., Tomis devine capitalaScithiei Minor. În timpul marelui împ`rat Constantin (306-337) prime[te numele de Constantia, purtat de mama, de osor` [i de o fiic` a imperatorului. Küstendje [i Köstenge sunttranslitera]ii turce[ti care au perpetuat onomastica latin`pân` în vremea de azi: Constan]a. Numeroase confrunt`ri ruso-turce pe care Dobrogea le-asuportat copios au distrus f`r` mil` ora[ul. Dup` r`zboiul [iciuma din 1828 mai r`m`seser` 60 de case. Singurul monu-ment p`strat din cele cinci secole de st`pânire otoman` egeamia Hunchiar. Zidit` la 1868, în timpul [i pe cheltuialasultanului Abdul Aziz (1861-1876), s-a numit ini]ial geamiaAziziye. Nici soarta ei nu e lipsit` de vicisitudini.Bombardamentele din anii '40 o aduc în stare de semi-ruin`.Restaurarea f`cut` în anul 1956 de Direc]ia MonumentelorIstorice, proiectul fiind aportul arh. Rodica M`nciulescu, asalvat monumentul. S-au ref`cut zid`ria [i acoperi[ul. Pebaza urmelor din zid s-a reconstituit cafasul, ce urma a fiînchis cu un mu[arabieh prin care femeile puteau privi f`r` afi v`zute. Proiectul nu s-a finalizat, iar geamia nu a fost redat`cultului. Acesta e principalul merit al restaur`rii din 1993,condus` de arh. Kemal Ghenghiomer. În stânga intr`rii pe o marmur` încastrat` în zid, e sculptat`caligrafic monograma sultanului ctitor. Niciun alt ornamentnu tulbur` fa]ada calm` a edificiului. Surprinz`tor [i aparentincomod, minaretul nu are ferestre. E îns` de crezut c`,lunecând în sus [i-n jos de cinci ori pe zi pentru a în`l]achemarea la rug`ciune, pa[ii muezinului s-au deprins cupietrele sc`rii [i f`r` ajutorul v`zului. În schimb, geamia areferestre înalte [i dese. Spa]iul interior luminos [i deschisdefine[te arhitectura geamiilor, care nu cultiv` fiorul mistic[i profuziunea decorativ` asociate de obicei l`ca[elor de cult.

The ship of Jason, he who was cast off by mankind but protect-ed by the Gods, was cutting through the waves of Pontus Euxin.Aside from the Golden Wool, Jason was carrying Medeea onboard, daughter of king Aeëtes, kidnapped from Colchis. Thepalms of the rowers, though wrapped in wet cloth, were drip-ping blood. The fleet of the cheated king was drawing nearerwith the implacability of fate. The ingenious Medeea thenreverted to a murderous strategy: she killed and cut up heryounger brother, throwing the pieces into the waves. Forced byancestral law to ensure him a prince's funeral, the chasers laggedbehind and the ship of Argos was lost on the horizon. This is the more publicized legend of old Tomi, a trading pointfor the merchants from Greek Millet in the 7th century B.C. Amore documented hypothesis is that of the founding of the cityby Tomiris, queen of the Scythians. During the reign of the greatEmperor Constantine (306-337), it received the nameConstantia, a name borne by the mother, one sister and onedaughter of the imperator. Küstendje and Köstenge are Turkishtransliterations that have perpetuated the Latin namesake untilthis day: Constan]a.The many Russian-Turkish confrontations that took place onDobrogean land left the city in ruins. After the war and theplague, in 1828 only 60 houses were left standing. The onlymonument preserved through five centuries of Ottoman rule isthe Hunchiar mosque. Built in 1868, during the reign and at theexpense of Sultan Abdul Aziz (1861-1876), it was initiallycalled the Aziziye mosque. Its fate was no less fraught than thatof its town. The bombardments of the 1940s all but destroyedit. A restoration carried out in 1956 by the Direction of HistoricMonuments according to a project by arch. Rodica M`nciulescu,saved the monument. The walls and roof were rebuilt. Based onthe traces in the wall, the balcony was rebuilt and was about tobe closed off with a bay window so that the women would notbe seen from the outside. The project was never finalized andthe mosque wasn't used for worship until the 1993 restoration,led by arch. Kemal Ghenghiomer. On the left of the entrance, on a marble slab encased in the wallwe find a calligraphic rendering of the monogram of the found-ing Sultan. No other ornament disrupts the smooth facade ofthe edifice. Surprising and seemingly discomforting, theminaret does not have any windows. One would think, how -ever, that sliding up and down the stone steps five times a dayto raise the call to prayer, the muezzin may have become accus-tomed to them even without the use of his sight. Instead, themosque itself has many very tall windows. The interior space isfilled with light and open, which is characteristic of the architec-tural program of mosques, buildings that do not cultivate themystic fervour and decorative profuseness usually associatedwith houses of worship.


78 GEAMIA�MAHMUD. HÅR{OVA

GEAMIA MAHMUDHÅR{OVA

În celebrul discurs de la Embaeh, 21 iulie 1798, Napoleonîi avertiza pe solda]ii francezi c` patru mii de ani îi ve -gheaz` din înaltul piramidelor. Sub Hâr[ova odihnesc [aptemilenii de istorie, depuse în peste dou`zeci de straturi scor-monite de arheologi. Nimic mai obi[nuit, pentru un ora[dobrogean. A[ez`ri neolitice, o fortifica]ie getic`, un castruroman, o cetate bizantin`, un scaun episcopal, o factoriegenovez` defileaz` gr`bit pe axa timpului.Din veacul al 15-lea, anticul Carsium e înlocuit în docu-mentele otomane de toponimul Harisova, iar destina]iamilitar`, f`r` a fi total abandonat`, se estompeaz` înfavoarea comer]ului. Purtate pe mare de la Stambul, urcândpe Dun`re de la Chilia, caicele aduceau baloturi de m`tase,mirodenii arabe, pânzeturi de bumbac, covoare persane [ichilimuri de Anatolia. Le cump`rau aici negustori veni]i totpe Dun`re, din amonte, de la Silistra, Nicopole, Provadia,Sofia, Plovdiv. Vindeau în schimb înc`l]`ri f`cute la Edirne,]es`turi aspre de lån` din sudul Bulgariei, sau mai fine, de laSalonic [i Dubrovnik. Dep`[ind cu mult nevoile de consumlocal, comer]ul de schimb învioreaz` [i stimuleaz` evolu]iaa[ez`rii. Tihna ora[ului, care la 1651 aduna în jurul bazarului peste1 600 de case, e tulburat`, începånd cu secolul al XVIII-lea,de frecventele r`zboaie ruso-turce. Cel mai sever episod s-apetrecut în 1828, când au fost distruse zidurile de incint`care protejau o suprafa]` de 42 de hectare. În urma aceluia[iconflict, încheiat prin Tratatul de la Adrianopol, de teamaepidemiilor vehiculate de animale, se instituie de-a lungulDun`rii un cordon sanitar, care îngr`de[te transhuman]amocanilor ardeleni. De veacuri, pe la Hâr[ova (Vadul Oii) [idinspre Br`ila (Ghecet) se scurgeau turme de oi, pe când caiiaveau vadul lor, la Giurgiu [i la C`l`ra[i. Ca urmare a inter-dic]iilor, mul]i p`stori din }ara Bârsei, Trei Scaune [i dinM`rginimea Sibiului au r`mas în Dobrogea. Harnici [i bunigospodari, în Hâr[ova au \ntemeiat, în partea de vest aora[ului, un cartier pe care, cu mândria ardeleanului venitde la ]ar`, l-au botezat Varo[.În aceea[i perioad` de început al secolului al XIX-lea, sesitueaz` [i construc]ia geamiei actuale din Hâr[ova, mai pre-cis în anul 1812, sub domnia sultanului Mahmud, al doileacu acest nume, pe care îl poart` acum [i geamia. În curte, în fa]` intr`rii, se afl` o fântân` cu ghizd hexagonaldin beton, amenajat` recent, destinat` sp`l`rii dinaintearug`ciunii. Ea înlocuie[te o fântân` mai veche, situat` pelatura de est a geamiei, care avea exact aceea[i form` [i careera ad`postit` sub un foi[or tradi]ional, numit sadirvan, cu

In his famous speech at Embaeh on the 21st of July 1798,Napoleon warned French soldiers that four thousand years keepwatch over their musings from atop the pyramids. BeneathHår[ova rest seven millennia of history, deposited in layersupon layers now being rummaged through by archaeologists.Nothing could be more ordinary for a Dobrogean town.Neolithic settlements, a Getae fort, a Roman encampment, aByzantine fortress, an Episcopalian Chair, a Genovese factory,all rolling hastily along the axis of time.Beginning in the 15th century, the ancient Carsium is replacedin Ottoman documents with the toponym Harisova, and itsmilitary function, though not entirely abandoned, is effaced infavour of commerce. Navigating the sea from Stambul, thenwinding their way up the Danube from Chilia, kayaks wouldcarry bales of silk, Arabian spices, cotton cloths, Persian rugsand kilims from Anatolia. The buyers of such merchandisewould also arrive here by way of the Danube, from upstream inSilistra, Nicopolis, Provadia, Sofia, Plovdiv. They would tradeshoes made in Edirne, harsh wooly fabrics from the south ofBulgaria, or finer cloths from Thessaloniki and Dubrovnik. Faroutweighing the needs of local consumers, the trade refreshedand stimulated the evolution of the settlement.The city flourished – by 1651, the city amassed around 1600houses around the bazaar – but its peace was broken repeated-ly in the 18th century by the Russian-Turkish wars. The mostsevere episode took place in 1828 when the enclosure walls pro-tecting an area of 42ha were torn through. Following that sameconflict, ended by the Treaty at Adrianople, for fear of epidemicscarried by animals, a sanitary belt was established along theDanube, barring off the pasture trails of shepherds fromTransylvania. For centuries, herds of sheep would pour throughHår[ova (Vadul Oii – meaning sheep's ford) and Br`ila(Ghecet), while horses had their own crossings in Giurgiu andC`l`ra[i. Following the interdictions, many a shepherd fromBurzenland, Three Chairs and M`rginimea Sibiului settled inDobrogea. Being hard workers and good householders, they setup in the western part of town, a neighbourhood that theirTransylvanian pride came to call Varo[.The current mosque in Hår[ova was also built during that sameperiod at the beginning of the 19th century, more precisely in1812, under the rule of Sultan Mahmud, the second of thisname, borne to this day by the mosque.In the courtyard, before the entrance we find a fountain with ahexagonal concrete basin, recently set up, destined for the ritu-al cleansing that precedes prayer. It replaces an older fountainsituated on the eastern side of the mosque, that used to be theexact same shape, sheltered beneath a traditional kiosk namedsadirvan, with a bell-shaped roof resting atop eight wooden pil-lars. The only sadirvan preserved today is the one in Medgidia.



From the courtyard one enters the vestibule whose windows,laid out on all four sides, are wider and taller than those in theprayer room, suggesting that initially, this was an open porch,similar to those in Isaccea and Medgidia. One may access theminaret through the vestibule on the ground floor – anotherresemblance with the mosque in Medgidia – whereas in mostmosques, the entrance into the minaret is situated in theprayer hall, one level higher. To the east, a wall that was addedat a later date creates a separate chamber.The prayer hall has a podium for women in the left-hand cor-ner, symbolically lined off by slender wooden balusters. Theperimetral gallery is also reserved for women, five meters wideabove the entrance and somewhat narrower along the lateralwalls. Though it doesn't stand out through any special decora-tions, a few wooden elements borrowed from examples ofcivil architecture in the market give the hall a warm, welcom-ing air. We ought to mention the pillars supporting the gallery,turned in a mechanical lathe and framed by festooned can-tilevers; together, the pillars and cantilevers in the entrancesketch the outline of delicately curved arches.Dug into the almost one meter thick wall, the apsis of themihrab is a simple cylindrical niche topped off with a semi-spherical cap that cannot be seen from the exterior. Its pres-ence is, however, marked through a small window dividedinto three arches, a unique appearance on the deliberatelymonotonous facade boasting no special reliefs or decorations.The only place where care was obviously given to the decora-tion is the votive inscription above the entrance into the greathall. The seven rows of text are painstakingly inscribed inequidistant cassettes and crowned with a calligraphic render-ing of Sultan Mahmud's seal framed in an oval medallion. Inthe interior, other inscriptions just as ingeniously painted orembroidered serve a predominantly religious purpose.The monument suffered transformations and lost much of itsinitial aspect. To the ravages caused by the military campaignsof the 19th century we add the burning of the city duringWWI. Most of the damage was suffered by the roof and thefacades. In the year 1967, at the request of the PopularCouncil and the Mufti, the Direction of Historic Monumentscarried out consolidation works for the roof structure and themasonry now affected by the initial tracing of the terrain. Arecent restoration of the past decade removed the mouldclimbing up the old stone foundation and clad the mosque inan immaculate, white garment reminiscent of the Imam's cer-emonial robe. A testimony of the constancy of the people whoarrived here all those centuries ago and have for generationsbeen identified with the fate of the city, in harmonious tan-dem with the ancient and medieval vestiges of the neighbour-ing fortress, this bicentennial mosque confirms the historicand spiritual dimension of Hår[ova.

un acoperi[ în form` de clopot rezemat pe opt stâlpi delemn. Singurul sadirvan p`strat pân` azi este cel de laMedgidia.Din curte se intr` în vestibul, ale c`rui ferestre, dispuse petoate cele patru laturi, mai largi [i mai înalte decåt cele dinsala de rug`ciune, sugereaz` ideea c` ini]ial a fost un pridvordeschis, asem`n`tor celor de la Isaccea [i Medgidia. Accesulîn minaret se face la nivelul parterului, din vestibul – o alt`similitudine cu geamia din Medgidia – pe când la majori-tatea geamiilor e situat în sala de rug`ciune, \n galeria de lanivelul superior. Spre est, un perete construit ulterior separ`o înc`pere adi]ional`. Sala de rug`ciune are în col]ul din stânga un podium rezer-vat femeilor, delimitat simbolic cu balu[tri sub]iri din lemn.Tot femeilor le e destinat` galeria perimetral`, adânc` deaproape cinci metri deasupra intr`rii [i ceva mai îngust` pepere]ii laterali. F`r` a se distinge printr-un decor deosebit,câteva elemente de lemn preluate din arhitectura civil` detârg dau s`lii de rug`ciune un aer cald, primitor. Amintimnumai stâlpii ce sus]in galeria, strunji]i mecanic [i încadra]ide console festonate; împreun`, stâlpi [i console schi]eaz` laintrare conturul unor arcade festonate delicat. Adâncit` în grosimea de aproape un metru a zidului, absidamihrabului e o simpl` ni[` cilindric` încheiat` cu o calot`semisferic` ce nu se reliefeaz` deloc în exterior. Prezen]a eieste marcat` totu[i printr-o ferestruic` divizat` în trei arcade,apari]ie insolit` pe fa]ada voit monoton`, f`r` niciun reliefsau decor particular.Singurul loc în care preocuparea decorativ` este evident` einscrip]ia votiv` amplasat` deasupra intr`rii în sala ceamare. Cele [apte rânduri de text sunt mig`los înscrise încasete echidistante [i încununate caligrafic de emblema sul-tanului Mahmud, încadrat` într-un medalion oval. La inte-rior, alte inscrip]ii, la fel de ingenios pictate brodate, au unrol preponderent religios.Monumentul a suferit transform`ri [i a pierdut mult dinaspectul originar. La ravagiile campaniilor militare din se -colul al XIX-lea se adaug` [i incendierea ora[ului în timpulPrimului R`zboi Mondial. Cel mai mult au avut de suferitacoperi[ul [i fa]adele. În anul 1967, la solicitarea SfatuluiPopular [i a Muftiatului, Direc]ia monumentelor Istorice aîntreprins lucr`ri de consolidare a [arpantei [i a zid`riei afec-tate de tasarea terenului. O restaurare recent`, din ultimuldeceniu, a îndep`rtat igrasia ce urca din funda]ia veche depiatr` [i a îmbr`cat geamia într-un ve[mânt alb imaculat pre-cum halatul de ceremonie al imamului. Z`log al statornicieicelor sosi]i aici cu veacuri în urm` [i identifica]i de genera]iicu destinul ora[ului, într-un armonios tandem cu vestigiileantice [i medievale ale cet`]ii învecinate, geamia bicentenar`confirm` dimensiunea istoric` [i spiritual` a Hâr[ovei.


98 GEAMIA� HUNCHIAR. CERNAVOD~

GEAMIA HUNCHIARCERNAVOD~

Mai \ntâi, pu]in` filologie: pe turce[te, kara su, \nseamn`,ca [i cerna voda \n limbile slave, Apa Neagr`. De unde [i

numele ora[ului, mai degrab` decåt de la un Negru Vod`, ac`rui domnie, pendulând \ntre istorie [i legend`, oricum nuputea trece dincolo de Dun`re. Drept pentru care scriemCernavoda, f`r` „`”, chiar dac` tastatura are diacritice.Aceea[i semantic` (aks = negru, de origine tracic`) a datnumele cet`]ii Axiopolis, atribuit` regelui Lisimach – secolul alIII-lea \.Hr. |n epoca roman`, Axiopolis era un redutabil sediual flotei militare, iar \n preajma anului 1000 veghea limita ves-tic` a limes-ului bizantin ce traversa Dobrogea. |n veacurile 15-19 ora[ul poart` numele turcesc Bogazchioi(Gura Apei), râul Carasu fiind pe atunci navigabil. {i \n timpuldomina]iei otomane au fost aici garnizoane militare, pe carenici Vlad Tepe[ [i nici Mihai Viteazul nu le-au iertat, \n cam-paniile lor ofensive purtate pe malul drept al Dunarii. Dar sunt [i alte \mpliniri române[ti ce merit` amintite: \n anul1766, dasc`lul Ioan \nfiin]a la Cernavoda prima [coal`romåneasc` din Dobrogea, iar pe la 1770 episcopul Neofit tra-ducea c`r]i grece[ti \n limba român`. |n 1864, s-a construit, cusprijinul sultanului Abdul Aziz, o biseric` ortodox`, atât pen-tru românii, cât [i pentru cele câteva mii de bulgari, ru[i, greci,atra[i de construc]ia c`ii ferate. |ntre dughenele ora[ului, un francez remarca pe la 1870-80, cumirare [i amuzament, existen]a unui café-chantant. MonsieurLeon-Francois-Antoine Aurifeuille, autorul acestei men]iuni,are o biografie fabuloas`. Copil din flori, matematician cumerite recunoscute \n teoria numerelor, a stat trei ani laIstanbul, unde a editat Revue de Constantinople. Cupseudoni mul Alfred de Caston a dat spectacole de iluzionism[i mentalism, dar a semnat [i c`r]i bine primite, precum LaTurquie en 1873, Les Tricheurs, sau Les marchands de mira-cles, \n care divulga trucurile cartoforilor [i ale fal[ilor spiriti[ti.Comisia European` a Dun`rii, \nfiin]at` \n 1856, induce unflux de modernitate \n via]a ora[ului, trasând calea ferat`Cernavoda – Constan]a, ini]iativ` de anvergur` european`,finalizat` \n 1895 prin inaugurarea podului Carol I.Istoria podului \ncepe la 1883. Din dou` concursuri, s-au alesopt proiecte, \ntre care unul semnat Gustave Eiffel. |n toamnablajin` a acelui an, ora[ul nu poate oferi un sediu mul]umitorcomisiei \ntrunite s` le examineze, a[a \ncât dezbaterile au locla bordul vaporului {tefan cel Mare. Nici comisia nu poatehot`r\ un proiect câ[tig`tor. {ase ani mai târziu, la solicitarealui M. Kog`lniceanu, Parlamentul \ncredin]eaz` lucrareainginerului Anghel Saligny. La 9 octombrie 1890, regele Carola[az` piatra de temelie [i tot el, la 14 septembrie 1895, bate

First, some philology: in Turkish, ‘kara su’ means, like ‘cernavoda’ in the Slavic languages, Black Water. This is the more like-ly source of the name of the town, and not, as previously sup-posed, Voivode Negru Vod`, whose reign, pendulating betweenhistory and legend, could never have spanned beyond theDanube. This is why we spell the name Cernavoda, without the`, and not for lack of special keyboard characters. The samesemantics generated the name of the fort of Axiopolis (‘aks’means black, a word of Tracian origin), attributed to kingLysymachus, dating back to the 3rd century B.C. In the Romanage, Axiopolis was the impressive headquarters of the Romanmilitary fleet, and around the year 1000, it guarded the westernboarder of the Byzantine limes (‘limit’ in Latin) that ranthrough Dobrogea.In the 15th - 19th centuries, the town bore the Turkish nameBogazchioi (Water Mouth), as the river Carasu was then sail-able. During Ottoman rule, military garnisons used to be sta-tioned here, garnisons that neither Vlad the Impaler nore Mihaithe Brave spared in their offensive campaigns on the right shoreof the Danube.There are, however, other Romanian accomplishments worthmentioning: in the year 1776, teacher Ioan founded the firstRomanian school in Dobrogea here, and then in 1770, this iswhere bishop Neofit translated Biblical texts from Greek intoRomanian. In 1864, with the support of Sultan Sbdul Aziz, anOrthodox church was built for Romanians and the few thou-sand Bulgarians, Russians and Greeks drawn to the region byconstruction work on the railway.Among the many shops in town, around 1870-1880, aFrenchman remarked, with a mixture of wonder and amuze-ment, the existence of a cafe-chantant. Monsieur Leon-Francois-Antoine Aurifeuille, the author of this mention, boasts a remark-able biography. Flower child, recognized mathematician in thefield of number theory, he lived in Istanbul for three years,where he edited the Revue de Constantinopole. Under the pseu-donym Alfred de Caston, he performed as an illusionist and amentalist and signed well-received books such as La Turquie en1873, Les Tricheurs, or Les marchands de miracles, in which hedivulged the tricks of card gamblers and fake psychics.The European Danube Commission founded in 1856 broughtabout the tides of modernity to city life, tracing the Cernavoda– Constan]a railway, a European initiative, finalized in 1895with the inauguration of the Charles the 1st Bridge.The history of the bridge begins in 1883. After two contests,eight projects were chosen one of which was signed by GustaveEiffel. In the gentle autumn of that same year, the company wasunable to provide satisfactory headquarters for the committeegathered to examine these projects, so the debates took placeaboard the {tefan the Great ship. The committe was, however,unable to decide on a wineer. Six years later, at the request of M.Kog`lniceanu, Parliament assigned the project to engineer



Anghel Saligny. On the 9th of October 1890, King Charles setthe cornerstone and then in 1895, he symbolically hammeredin the final rivet. The tale of this impressive inauguration –Saligny watching from a boat beneath the bridge as a convoy of15 locomotives crosses it in an 80km/h test run – is reported inthe press of the day, sprinkled with fragments from the King'sspeech: "The completion of this bridge across the Danube,desired by Myself for a quarter century, (...) this solid and undy-ing work, (...) must show the world that the Romanian peopleis worthy of its beautiful calling to the mouth of the Danubeand the Gates of the Orient." No less circulated is the anecdotaldialogue between the Prime Minister and his frugal Sovereignafter examining the estimate: "– A bit dear, Lasc`r, a bit dear. –Dear, your majesty, but worth it!" At times more lively, at times more low-key, the metamor-phoses of the town during the past decades bears a silent wit-ness, lazily resting against the edges of time at the back of a rowof shops. "Mosques are the past; they lie hidden behind shorthouses and massive rock warehouses, like small-windowed,thick-barred dungeons. The square in front of the mosque iswide enough to fit carts headed with iron, laden with sacks ofgrain. Cernavod` has the Danube, it has the railway, it mostespecially has that wonder of a bridge, with its iron lacework,suspended above the water. Life bubbles. The whistle of sirensblends with the husky voices of ships or the sharper, brashertones of locomotives." This description, dating back to 1914,belongs to the illustruous geologist Ion Simionescu.The mosque was built in 1756 during the short reign of SultanOsman the IIIrd, perhaps at his request, perhaps simply in hismemory, as the name still occasionally used to identify it wouldsuggest: "Hunchiar Mosque". It was most certainly preceded byolder, smaller mosques: in the book of his travels,Seyahatname, Evliya Celebi remembers "that small, but pre-cious mosque" in Bogazchioi.The ritual fountain dug into a cube of limestone precedes theentrance. From a vestibule corner where shoes are discarded,one walks into the prayer room or, by the corner staircase,climbs directly up to the women's gallery. A few details makethis mosque in Cernavoda unique: the framing of the mihrab,made out of two abutments and an arched gable; the mimberparapet, as well as the parapet lining off the area on the groundfloor reserved for women, also with stonework showing offlarge, round perforations. But the most peculiar element is theceiling fixed with slats - it isn't flat, instead its central part israised in the shape of a truncated pyramid. The minaret in Cernavoda is also one of a kind. The same ingen-uous stonemasons rounded off its balcony in the shape of aswallow's nest, raised on three successive rows of spiked can-tilevers. The facades are covered in a thin coat of paint throughwhich the stone blocks can be vaguely discenred. Two inscrip-tion plaques, one at the base of the minaret attesting its buildingdate, 1886, another on the western facade, seem to account forreparation and consolidation works carried out on the mosque.Plaster beading and concrete belts embrace the facades, in fullvernacular accord with the other components of the building.Between the famous Neolithic couple of the Thinkers (dubbedof Hamangia, but discovered near the city, on Sofia hill) and theonly atomic powerplant in Romania, this modest mosque inCernavoda maintains the bearing for the helm that isDobrogea's history.

simbolic ultimul nit. Fastul inaugur`rii, cu Saligny privind dinbarc`, de sub pod, convoiul de 15 locomotive care-l testeaz` cu80 km/or`, e relatat copios \n presa vremii, pres`rat` cu frag-mente din discursul regelui: „S`vâr[irea podului peste Dun`re,dorit de un sfert de veac de Mine, (…) aceast` trainic` [inepieritoare lucrare, (…) trebuie s` arate lumii c` vrednic estepoporul Român de frumoasa sa chemare la gurile Dun`rii [ipor]ile Orientului”. Nu mai pu]in vehiculat a fost [i dialogulanecdotic dintre chibzuitul suveran [i prim-ministrul s`u,dup` examinarea devizului: „– Cam scump, coane Lasc`re,cam scump. – Scump, maiestate, dar face!”. Când mai animat`, când mai domoal`, metamorfoza urbeidin ultimile veacuri are un martor silen]ios, a[ezat molcom \nmarginea timpului [i \n dosul [irului de pr`v`lii. „Geamia etrecutul; st` ascuns` prin case scunde [i magazii masive depiatr`, ca ni[te temni]i cu ferestruici mici [i z`brele groase. |nfa]a geamiei e pia]a larg` ca s` \ncap` c`ru]ele ferecate,\nc`rcate cu saci de grâu. Cernavoda are Dun`rea, are liniaferat`, are mai ales minunea de pod, dantela fin` de fier, sus-pendat` deasupra apei. Via]a gâlgâie. {uier`turile sirenelor se\ngân` cu acelea mai r`gu[ite ale vapoarelor ori acele maiscurte, mai stridente, ale locomotivelor.” Panorama apar]ineilustrului geolog Ion Simionescu [i dateaz` din 1914.Geamia a fost construit` la 1756, \n timpul scurtei domnii asultanului Osman III, poate cu \ndemnul sau doar dedicat`acestuia, dup` cum sugereaz` denumirea, ocazional folosit`,de „Geamia Hunchiar”. A fost cu siguran]` precedat` degeamii mai vechi, mai m`runte: \n cartea c`l`toriilor sale,Seyahatname, Evliya Celebi aminte[te „geamia mic`, dardr`gu]`” din Bogazchioi. Fântâna ritual`, s`pat` \ntr-un cub de calcar , precede intrarea.Dintr-un larg vestibul, \n care se leap`d` \nc`l]`rile, se intr` \nsala de rug`ciune sau, pe scara din col], se urc` direct \n gale-ria femeilor. Câteva detalii individualizeaz` geamia dinCernavoda: ancadramentul mihrabului, compus din doipila[tri [i un fronton arcuit; parapetul mimberului, ca [i celcare m`rgine[te zona de la parter rezervat` femeilor, tot dinzid`rie lucrate, cu mari perfora]ii rotunde. Dar cel mai aparteelement e tavanul b`tut \n [ipci, care nu e plan, partea central`fiind \n`l]at` \n forma unui trunchi de piramid`. {i minaretul de la Cernavoda este un unicat. Aceia[i zidariingenui i-au rotunjit balconul \n forma unui cuib de rân-dunic`, s`ltat pe trei rânduri succesive de console zim]ate.Zid`ria fa]adelor e \nvelit` \ntr-o tencuial` sub]ire prin carese ghicesc vag blocurile de piatr`. Dou` pl`ci cu inscrip]ii,una pe baza minaretului, pe care \l dateaz` la 1886, iar altape fa]ada de vest, consemneaz` repara]ii [i consolid`ri alegeamiei. Ciubuce de tencuial` [i centuri de beton\mbr`]i[eaz` fa]adele, \ntr-o deplin` consonan]` vernacu-lar` cu celelalte componente.|ntre celebrul cuplu neolitic al Gânditorilor (zi[i de laHamangia, dar descoperi]i lâng` ora[, pe dealul Sofia) [i sin-gura central` atomic` a României, modesta geamie dinCernavoda ]ine o dreapt` cump`n` a istoriei dobrogene.


112 GEAMIA�MeSTAN�AGA. M~CIN

GEAMIA MESTAN AGAM~CIN

Dac` Delta e cel mai proasp`t p`mânt al României,M`cinul e a[ezat pe cele mai vârstnice roci, formate în

paleozoic. Iar dac` mai toate geamiile dobrogene sunt ziditecu piatr` din carierele locale, cea din M`cin e singura con-struit` din lemn, adus pe cor`bii de dincolo de Dardanele.A[ezarea cu nume celtic, Arrubium (secolele II-I \.Hr.),inclus` în regatul geto-dac st`pânit de Rhemaxos [i Zyraxes,a devenit succesiv castru roman, cetate bizantin` [i comun`urban` otoman`, men]ionat` ca atare în documente din sec-o lul al XVI-lea. În anii 1856-1859, dup` r`zboiul dinCrimeea, un mare num`r de imigran]i t`tari spore[tesim]itor popula]ia ora[ului. În aceste condi]ii, Mestan Aga,b`rbat chivernisit, cu dare de mân` [i cu rang înalt în ie -rarhia otoman`, ia ini]iativa ridic`rii unei noi geamii, pecare s-o doneze comunit`]ii. Proiectul [i componentele con-struc]iei au fost croite la Istanbul, de me[teri turci, care auînso]it lemn`ria pe mare [i pe Dun`re, pentru a o asamblala fa]a locului, pe temelie de piatr`. O talp` de stejar, lat` câtfunda]ia, stâlpi [i grinzi de dou` palme grosime, legate cuscoabe [i cuie b`tute pe nicoval`, alc`tuiesc structurapere]ilor, completat` cu paiant`. Materialul de baz` sereg`se[te pe fa]adele placate cu scândur`. Tot lemnul a fostîmbibat cu fiertur` din seu de oaie, formul` care dup` unsecol [i jum`tate î[i p`streaz` tr`inicia. Un sacnasiu rezemat pe doi stâlpi de lemn, deasupraintr`rii, [i alveola mihrabului, îmbr`cate cu acela[i finisajlemnos, formeaz` dou` mici protuberan]e pe corpul princi-pal al cl`dirii. Pe fa]ada de vest cre[te turnul elansat alminaretului, zidit din blocuri de piatr`. Compunerea volu -melor e f`cut` dup` criterii strict func]ionale, f`r` o preocu-pare anume pentru decor sau propor]ii. Singurul detaliu dis-tinctiv este modul în care e rezolvat` intersec]ia fa]adelor.Rigiditatea muchiei verticale este atenuat` prin inser]ia unuitrunchi rotund, u[or retras fa]` de planurile adiacente. Esteo transpunere sui-generis în lemn a procedeului folosit depietrarii care au construit cavoul lui Ali Gazi Pa[a din curteageamiei de la Babadag. Sala de rug`ciune degaj` aceea[i simplitate enun]at` de exte-riorul geamiei. Lumina p`trunde în voie prin ferestrele dis-puse pe dou` registre în nava înalt` de aproape [ase metri.Aten]ia se concentreaz` asupra ni[ei mihrabului, înconju-rat` de texte în caractere arabe, minu]ios caligrafiate,con]inånd m`rturisirea de credin]a [i numele primilor patrumari califi. În partea opus`, spa]iul destinat femeilor,m`rginit de stâlpi [i balustrade de lemn, e mai dezvoltat înadîncime decåt la alte geamii. Din galeria superioar` se urc`,

Whereas the Delta is the youngest land in Romania, M`cin restsatop the oldest of Romanian rocks, dating back to the PaleozoicEra. And while almost every mosque in Dobrogea is built withstone from local quarries, the one in M`cin is built with woodbrought over on ships from beyond the Dardanelles.This settlement with a Celtic name, Arrubium (2nd – 1st cen-turies B.C.), once part of the Geto-Dacian kingdom ruled byRhemaxos and Zyraxes, was successively transformed into aRoman encampment, a Byzantine fortress and an Ottomanurban commune mentioned as such in documents dating fromthe 16th century. In the years 1856-1859, following theCrimean War, a great number of Tatar immigrants significantlyadded to the population of the town. Under these conditions,Mestan Aga, a well-to-do, generous man holding a high rank inthe Ottoman hierarchy took on the initiative of building a newmosque to give to the community. Both the design and thecomponents of the construction were crafted in Istanbul byTurkish masters who then accompanied the woodwork by sea,then up the Danube in order to assemble it on the spot, on astone foundation. An oak base as wide as the foundation, pillarsand beams two palms thick, tied with clamps and nails beatendown on an anvil, these elements make up the structure of thewalls, that is then filled out with struts. The base material isfound in the wood board plaques on the facades. All of thewood was soaked in a mutton tallow broth, a formula that stillmaintains its sturdiness a century and a half later. An oriel resting on two wooden pillars above the entrance, aswell as the back of the niche of the mihrab, clad in the samewooden finishes, form two small protuberances on the mainvolume of the building. On the western facade grows thespindly tower of the minaret, built with stone blocks. The com-position of the volumes is designed according to strictly func-tional criteria, without any special care for decorations or pro-portions. The only distinctive detail is the way in which theintersection of the facades is resolved. The rigidity of the verticaledge is softened by the insertion of a rounded tree trunk, slight-ly withdrawn from the adjacent planes. It is a sui generis trans-position into wood of a procedure used by the stonemasonswho built Ali Gaza Pasha's tomb in the courtyard of theBabadag mosque.The prayer room lets off the same simplicity expressed by theexterior of the construction. Light comes in playfully throughwindows laid out in two rows along the sides of the almost 6mhigh nave. Attention is drawn to the niche of the mihrab, sur-rounded by texts in Arabic script, a painstakingly etched callig-raphy containing the confession of faith and the names of thefirst four great caliphs. On the opposite side, the space reservedfor women, fenced off with wooden pillars and balustradesdevelops in more depth than in other mosques. From the upper


113 GEAMIA�MESTAN�AGA. M~CIN

gallery one climbs up massive oak steps also imported by sea,all the way up to the minaret balcony. A vestibule precedes theentrance into the hall, a space that initially took up the full 8mwide opening of the beams, but is now divided into a waitingroom and a small office. A panoramic view of M`cin, engraved in wood after a drawingby M. Könen printed in Illustrierte Zeitung in Leipzig in 1877,shows two adjoining mosques. The old mosque, built on stone,on the site of a former place of worship that burned down in1853, was demolished in 1956 and in its place we now find theCulture House. The publishing of the aforementioned imagewas brought about by an interest in M`cin stirred in the after-math of the 1877 war, whose beginning and ending episodesboth took place here. M`cin was the first city on Ottoman soilto be conquered on the 11th of June 1877 by the 14th RussianArmy Corps commanded by General Zimmerman. Then, on the14th of November 1878 it was also the first city to offer a tri-umphal arch greeting to the first troops of the RomanianArmies, then stationed in Br`ila, along with the General Staffand His Majesty King Charles. Four decades later, during WWI,Talip Talip, the great-grandfather of the current imam in M`cin,was the hero of an act of loyalty recognized by Royal Decree.Although blackmailed with the loss of houses and land heowned in Bulgaria, he refused to collaborate with the secretservices, turning over to the Romanian authorities the spies sentto him with three sacks of explosive to blow up the bridge inCernavoda. After the occupation of Dobrogea in 1917, Talip fellvictim to a cruel sort of vengeance. The acknowledgement of hismerits and the recompense entailed by his heirs was brutallywiped clean by the hardships and persecution that followed in1947. Dispossessed and forced to leave M`cin, after three gener-ations the family of martyr Talip now finds itself around themosque of Mestan Aga.The votive inscription above the entrance says: "This mosquewas made by Mestan Aga and given for the use of the commu-nity; let it please the Lord that I may make other good things."For even if Muslim religion does not sanction the statute offounder with privileges entailed by the family, the names ofthose who have built mosques are piously recited in prayers onimportant holidays or special occasions. And Mastan Aga iscounted among the worthy.

pe trepte masive din acela[i stejar adus de peste m`ri, pân`în balconul minaretului. Intrarea în sal` e precedat` de unvestibul, dezvoltat ini]ial pe toat` deschiderea de opt metria grinzilor, dar divizat acum într-o sal` de a[teptare [i unmic birou.O vedere panoramic` a M`cinului, gravat` în lemn dup` undesen de M. Könen [i tip`rit` în Illustrierte Zeitung dinLeipzig la 1877, înf`]i[eaz` dou` geamii al`turate. Geamiacea veche, care era construit` din piatr` pe locul unui l`ca[anterior incendiat în 1853, a fost demolat` în anul 1956, pelocul ei aflându-se acum Casa de Cultur`. Publicarea ima -ginii mai sus-amintite a fost prilejuit` de interesul stârnit der`zboiul din 1877, eveniment al c`rui început [i sfâr[it auavut loc la M`cin. A fost primul ora[ de pe pe teritoriulotoman cucerit, la 11 iunie 1877, de Corpul 14 al armateiruse[ti, sub comanda generalului Zimmerman. {i totM`cinul a fost primul ora[ care a întâmpinat cu un arc tri-umfal, la 14 noiembrie 1878, primele coloane ale armateiromâne, datorit` faptului c` grosul armatei, împreun` custatul major [i cu principele Carol, era cantonat la Br`ila.Patru decenii mai târziu, în timpul Primului R`zboiMondial, Talip Talip, str`bunicul actualului imam dinM`cin, a fost eroul unui act de devotament certificatprintr-un decret regal. De[i [antajat cu pierderea unor case [iterenuri pe care le de]inea în Bulgaria, el a refuzat s` cola-boreze cu serviciile secrete, deconspirând autorit`]ilorromâne pe spionii trimi[i cu trei saci de explozivi pentru adinamita podul de la Cernavoda. Dup` ocuparea Dobrogei,în 1917, Talip a c`zut victim` unei crunte r`zbun`ri.Recunoa[terea meritului [i recompensele acordate urma[ilorde Regatul României au fost [terse brutal de vicisitudinile [ide prigoana ce a urmat anului 1947. Deposedat`, obligat` s`p`r`seasc` M`cinul, dup` trei genera]ii familia martiruluiTalip se reg`se[te în preajma geamiei lui Mestan Aga.Inscrip]ia votiv` de la intrare gl`suie[te: „Este f`cut` aceast`geamie de Mastan Aga [i d`ruit` întru folosul ob[tii; s` deaDumnezeu s` mai fac [i alte lucruri bune.” Chiar dac` reli-gia musulman` nu consfin]e[te statutul de ctitor, cu anu-mite privilegii ce se r`sfrâng [i asupra familiei acestora,numele întemeietorilor de geamii sunt rostite cu pio[enie înrug`ciuni la s`rb`torile mari sau în ocazii deosebite. IarMestan Aga se num`ra printre cei merituo[i.


146 GEAMIA� GIUMA. AMZACEA

GEAMIA GIUMAAMZACEA

A village among other villages lazily resting atop the flat south-ern plateau, named in the memory of local chief Hamza, towhose name a common Dobrogea suffix was added: Isaccea,Tulcea, Casimcea. A few Neolithic tumuli and traces of Romandwellings sketch the necessary archaeological background. Oneither side of the road, quite some distance apart, two mosquesare situated, attached to the Turkish and respectively to the Tatarneighbourhoods in the village. Prayers are held everyday, alter-nating 15 days in one mosque and 15 days in the next.The oldest of Turkish mosques, called Giuma (Friday inTurkish) was built in 1850. In 1917, during the war, the minaretwas a target for enemy cannons stationed in the neighbouringvillage, and was destroyed. It took ten years to rebuild it, and thenew one was shorter than the original. Also around that timethe women's podium in the prayer room was taken out. Withtime, the massive stone masonry cracked and the ceiling beganto give way. As safety measures, the lateral windows wereobstructed and a wooden pillar was added in the middle,beneath the main supporting beam. The eastern facade was rein-forced with a buttress. Other repairs were carried out in 2004.The prayer room is as simple as can be: the semi-circular alveo-lus of the mihrab, topped with a conic cap, and the central pil-lar supporting the ceiling are the only note-worthy elements.However, the adjacent spaces are more extensively developedhere than in other mosques, covering a total surface larger thanthat of the main hall. A minuscule vestibule with a basin forablution leads into a corridor with three lateral chambers: thewaiting room, the Islamic learning room and an annex. At theother end of the corridor we find the entrance into the greathall. Access into the minaret is granted by way of a small wood-en door situated at the top, beneath the ceiling. The minaret hasstone steps, linked to the masonry of the walls. Connectingthrough the central pylon, they offer this tower the savantrobustness of the snail's shell. On the outside, the minaret maintains its original stone fittings.The rest of the facade was painted over, except a few stonesencased in the lateral facade near the tower, where two inscrip-tions can be seen, scribbled by the deft hand of a craftsmantrained in the art of the wedge and chisel. This is the final touch,completing the charm of a building that is lovely in its simplic-ity. The Giuma mosque's sister was built in 1890, and althoughit is younger, it finds itself a bit more wrinkled by the passage oftime. A new place of worship erected a mere four decades apartfrom the first would indicate an expansion of the communitythat cannot be explained by a mere natural increase in popula-tion, but is rather to be attributed to the immigration of theTatars from Crimea, a constant provider of Islamic populationto Dobrogea between 1783 and 1877, with demographic spikesfollowing each Russian-Turkish war.

Un sat între altele, a[ezat lene[ pe tipsia podi[ului sudic,p`streaz` spre amintire numele unei c`petenii locale,

Hamza, la care se adaug` un sufix comun [i altor a[ez`ridobrogene: Isaccea, Tulcea, Casimcea. Câ]iva tumuli neoli -tici [i urme de locuire roman` îi schi]eaz` fundalul arheolo -gic necesar. De o parte [i de alta a [oselei, la oarece distan]`,se afl` dou` geamii, aferente cartierelor turcesc [i celuit`t`resc ale satului. Rug`ciunile zilnice se ]in alternativ, câtecincisprezece zile într-o geamie [i apoi în cealalt`.Cea mai veche e geamia turceasc`, zis` Giuma (vineri, înlimba turc`), zidit` în 1850. La 1917, în vreme de r`zboi,minaretul a fost luat ca ]int` de tunurile inamice, aflate însatul vecin, [i doborât. Abia dup` zece ani a putut fi ref`cut,dar ceva mai scund. Tot atunci s-a desf`cut [i podiumul dinsala de rug`ciune, destinat femeilor. Cu timpul, zid`riamasiv` din piatr` s-a fisurat [i plafonul a început s` cedeze.Ca m`suri de precau]ie s-au astupate ferestrele laterale [i s-aimplantat un stâlp de lemn în mijloc, sub grinda principal`.Fa]ada estic` a fost înt`rit` cu un contrafort. Alte repara]ii s-au mai f`cut în 2004.Camera de rug`ciune e cât se poate de simpl`: alveola semicir-cular`, încheiat` cu o calot` conic`, a mihrabului [i stâlpulcentral ce sprijin` tavanul suferind sunt singurele elementenotabile. În schimb, spa]iile adiacente sunt mai dezvoltatedecât la alte geamii, însumând o suprafa]` mai mare decât salaprincipal`. Un vestibul minuscul, cu bazin pentru ablu]iune,d` într-un coridor cu trei camere laterale: sala de a[teptare,sala de înv`]`tur` islamic` [i o anex`. La cel`lalt cap`t al cori-dorului e intrarea în sala mare. În minaret se intr` printr-ou[i]` de lemn, aflat` sus, sub tavan. Minaretul are trepte dinpiatr`, legate cu zid`ria. Solidare prin pilonul central, con-fer` turnului rezisten]a savant` a unei cochilii de melc. Pe dinafar`, minaretul î[i p`streaz` apareiajul de piatr`.Restul fa]adelor au fost zugr`vite, mai pu]in cåteva pietreîncastrate pe fa]ada lateral`, lâng` turn, pe care mijesc dou`inscrip]ii incizate de o mân` mai pu]in deprins` cu pana saucu dalta. E ultima tu[` ce completeaz` farmecul unei zidiriîncânt`toare prin simplitatea ei.Sora mai tân`r`, de[i mai ridat` de adierea timpului, ageamiei Giuma a fost construit` în 1890. Un nou l`ca[ decult la un interval de numai patru decenii indic` o cre[tere acomunit`]ii ce nu se explic` prin simplul spor natural. Maiplauzibil poate fi atribuit` imigra]iei t`tarilor din Crimeea,care din 1783 [i pân` în 1877 a alimentat continuu, cu câteun flux mai înalt dup` fiecare r`zboi ruso-turc, popula]iaislamic` a Dobrogei.


152 PEISAJ�DOBROGEAN

PEISAJ DOBROGEANDOBROGEAN LANDSCAPE

Coaja p`mîntului unduit` vag de geologii obosite, ovege ta]ie precar`, lipsit` de umiditatea vital`, sate

m`runte, care dilat` distan]ele în orizontul plat [i deschis,îmbie firesc la o compara]ie cu podi[ul Anatoliei. În acestspa]iu v`duvit de repere spectaculoase, naturale sau cl`dite,abia ici-colo câte un coif de minaret împunge ca un creionbine ascu]it cerul dezesperant de albastru. Sunt construc]iisimple, nepreten]ioase, dar care semnaleaz` [i confer` iden-titate a[ez`rii. Iar în perspectiv` creioneaz` un peisaj cultu -ral specific, definit pe un areal restrâns, str`juit pe trei laturide Dun`re [i de Mare, deschise c`tre toate apele lumii. Unrelief tocit, ierburi spinoase, oameni mode[ti, o arhitectur`re]inut`. Cercetate îndeaproape, î[i dezv`luie, cu simplitate[i altruism, calit`]i remarcabile. Geamiile rurale s-au construit pe teren comunal sau privat.Este cazul celei din Tuzla, zidit` pe terenul unei familii dinsat, ai c`rei descenden]i, trìtori în Istanbul, se pot lùda cudona]ia str`mo[ilor. Numele satului Tuzla (în limba turc`:s`rat) a fost croit pe seama lacului Techirghiol, îmbr`când încaftan vechiul Stratonis bizantin, care, la rândul sù, acope -r` situri romane [i neolitice. Geamia dateaz` din 1870.Scund`, privind sfios în p`mânt, ar trece neobservat` f`r`minaretul din calcar vechi, bronzat de soarele m`rii. |n com-para]ie cu alte structuri similare pare robust; e îns` cel maibine propor]ionat minaret din zon`. În materie de siluet`,excesele (vezi Rubens [i Modigliani) au fost rapid dezavuate.Cel de-al doilea minaret, ridicat în 2008 prin str`danialùdabil` a Parlamentului României [i a unor sponsoripriva]i, e tot un exces. În cerdacul geamiei, lâng` bazina[ul pentru abdest, suntîncastrate în zid dou` lespezi cu inscrip]ii în vechea limbòsmanl\, g`site sub temelia l`ca[ului. Un text din Coran îiîndeamn` pe credincio[i s` p`[easc` în geamie, pe caleacredin]ei. Sala de rug`ciune e un bun exemplu al cerin]elorminimale de cult. Nimic altceva decât pere]i imacula]i [ilambriu proasp`t l`cuit. Pe tavan [i podea, tot lemn.Acoperit cu covoare pe care sunt desenate carpete derug`ciune având în centru simbolul mihrabului, înconjuratde [apte chenare cu modele diferite. În curte sunt câtevamonumente funerare de secol XVIII, recuperate din cimiti rulce acoperea cândva tot dealul din apropiere. Dup` apus,când luna ia locul soarelui, rolul minaretului e preluat defarul marin, care clipe[te prietenos marinarilor [iplimb`re]ilor nocturni.Cele mai multe geamii de sat, dac` nu toate, au fost cl`ditecu resursele [i mai ales cu osteneala enoria[ilor. La

The earth's crust, vaguely wavy from worn out geologies, theprecarious vegetation lacking in vital humidity, small villagesdilating the distances on the vast open plain of the horizon, allof these naturally invite comparison to the Anatolian plateau. Inthis space devoid of spectacular landmarks, natural or built,here and there, the crest of a minaret pierces a heart-breakinglyblue sky like a well-sharpened pencil. They are simple, unpre-tentious constructions that signal and provide the identity ofthe settlement. In perspective, they outline a culturally specificlandscape, defined by a narrow area guarded on three sides bythe Danube and the sea, open to all the waters of the world.Faded natural surroundings, thorny bushes, modest people, areserved architecture – upon close investigation they reveal theirremarkable qualities with simplicity and altruism. Rural mosques were built on public or private land. The latter isthe case of the mosque in Tuzla, built on the land of a family inthe village whose descendants, living in Istanbul, can still boastthe donation of their ancestors. The name of the village Tuzla(meaning ‘salty’ in Turkish) given on account of the TekirghiolLake, throws its mantle over the former Byzantine settlement ofStratonis, which in turn covered Roman and Neolithic sites. Themosque dates back to 1870. Short, shyly looking down at theground, it would pass unobserved were it not for the old lime-stone minaret, tanned by the sea sun. In comparison with othersimilar structures, it appears robust; it is, however, the best pro-portioned minaret in the area. In terms of silhouette, excesses(see Rubens and Modigliani) are usually and rapidly disavowed.The second minaret, erected in 2008 through the commendableefforts of the Romanian Parliament and private sponsors, is,however, excessive.The porch of the mosque, near the abdest (ablution) basin, twostone slabs found in the foundation of the building, inscribedin the old osmanl\ language are now encased in the wall. A textfrom the Coran invites believers to step inside the mosque byway of faith. The prayer room is a good example of the minimalrequirements of worship. Nothing besides immaculate wallscovered in freshly lacquered wooden panels. On the ceiling andfloor, wood again. Covered in rugs on which prayer carpets aredrawn with the symbol of the mihrab at the centre, surroundedby seven frames with different patterns. In the courtyard we finda few funeral monuments from the 18th century, recoveredfrom the cemetery that used to cover the entire hill nearby. Aftersundown, when the moon takes the place of the sun, the role ofthe minaret is taken on by the lighthouse, cordially blinking atsailors or anyone out for a stroll in the moonlight.Most, if not all mosques in the village, were built with theresources and especially the hard work of the parishioners. InTechirghiol, a more recent construction dating back to 1934-1936 lists the names and contributions of everyone who took


153 DOBROGEAN LANDSCAPE

part in building it. For example, mullah Nazif Geanakai toiledon the minaret, having learnt stonemasonry while in jail servinga sentence for helping Tatar refugees from Besserabia. To equipthe mosque, to repair it and fence it, the non-Muslim inhabi-tants lent a hand – the community of the St. Mary monastery,workers at the cooperative in Agigea, the chief of the Militia sta-tion – a spontaneous note of consideration and cohesion. The settlement is old. Its Tatar name, Tekfür Gölu (Tabby Lake)appears in a decree issued by Sultan Suleiman I to Vod`L`pu[neanu. Here too, though, legend prevails over etymology.The tale of poor Tekir, old, crippled and blind, and his likewisehelpless donkey, both healed by the sapropelic mud, was sim-ply too attractive. And it is backed up by history: in 1854, OmerPasha, commander of the Ottoman army in Crimeea, made astop in Techirghiol. "His highness was no longer the daringrider who stood out by the elegance (...) and deftness withwhich he steered Turkey's most beautiful steeds. It is said thatworries and troubles whitened his beard and hunched hisbody..." – so French columnist Eugene Jouve describes him. Thelake's healing powers did justice to their good name, and theMushir (military rank equivalent to the marshal) continued onhis road cured of what was most likely a rheumatic affliction inhis arms.In F`urei (Kalaygi), the mosque built and carved in 1854 has nominarets, though it is still enchanting thanks to the warmth ofits materials – stone and wood – exposed as such, without theprotective derma of plaster or wall paint. The porch, of whichpart was closed off with a wall to create an additional chamber,reaches up the whole height of the two-level eave of the mosqueand evokes the magnitude of the monumental porch in theEsmahan Sultan mosque in Mangalia. The octagonal pillars,carved with a hatchet, with sketched crowns and pedestals nat-urally resembling the civil architecture in the town, as far as itwas preserved from Wallachian cities like Cåmpulung, Pite[ti oreven Bucharest, as well as to the South of the Danube, confess-es the same Balkan origin. The Anadalchioi neighbourhood (meaning Anatolian Village)was integrated into the town of Constan]a 1975 under thealpha-numeric name Tomis 3. Surrounded by modern concrete,the mosque erected in 1870 is the only thing preserving thememory of what was once an old fisherman's village. Equippedwith a concrete balcony with a metallic birdcage, the minaretproudly bears its silhouette, purpose and symbolic significance.Hidden behind the green of the garden, the mosque seems to beone of those houses forgotten behind concrete apartmentblocks. Seen from up-close, this seems to be a typical ruralmosque, once imposing, with wide windows brightly lightingthe slightly elevated main hall so as to make room for thewooden gallery of the women.

Techirghiol, construc]ie mai recent`, din anii 1934-1936, semai [tiu numele [i contribu]ia fiec`ruia. La minaret, depild`, a trudit hogea Nazif Geanakai, care a deprins pietr`riaîn timpul deten]iei, condamnat fiind pentru asisten]a acor-dat` unor refugia]i t`tari din Basarabia. La înzestrareageamiei, la repara]ii [i la împrejmuire au dat o mân` de aju-tor [i locuitorii nemusulmani – ob[tea m`n`stirii Sf. Maria,meseria[i de la cooperativa din Agigea, [eful postului demili]ie – o not` spontan` de stim` [i coe ziune. A[ezarea eveche. Numele t`t`resc – Tekfür Gölu (Lacul V`rgat) – apareîntr-un firman trimis în 1560 de c`tre sulta nul Soliman I luiVod` L`pu[neanu. Dar [i aici legenda biruie asupra etimolo-giei. Povestea s`rmanului Tekir, b`trân, olog [i orb, [i am`g`ru[ului sau la fel de neputincios, înzdr`veni]i subit den`molul sapropelic e mult prea atr`g`toare. O sus]ine [i unepisod confirmat de istorie: în 1854, Omer Pa[a, coman-dantul armatei otomane în r`zboiul Crimeei, face un popasla Techirghiol. „Alte]a sa nu mai e c`l`re]ul temerar care laînceputul r`zboiului se f`cea remarcat prin elegan]a (…) [idexteritatea cu care strunea cei mai frumo[i cai ai Turciei. Sespune c` grijile [i necazurile i-au albit barba [i i-au încovoiattrupul …” – a[a îl descrie gazetarul francez Eugène Jouve.Calit`]ile t`m`duitoare ale lacului nu se dezmint, iarmu[irul (grad militar echivalent unui mare[al) î[i va conti -nua drumul vindecat de o afec]iune, probabil reumatic`, abra]elor.La geamia f`r` minaret din F`urei (Kalaygi), zidit` [i cioplit`la anul 1854, te încânt` iremediabil c`ldura nativ` a materi-alelor – piatr` [i lemn – expuse ca atare, f`r` epiderma pro-tectoare a tencuielii sau a vopsitoriei. Pridvorul, din care oparte a fost închis` cu zid pentru a se crea o înc`pere supli-mentar`, este înalt pån` la strea[ina de dou` niveluri ageamiei [i evoc` amploarea pridvorului monumental de lageamia Esmahan Sultan din Mangalia. La rândul lor, stâlpiioctogonali, ciopli]i din bard`, cu capiteluri [i baze schema-tizate, au asem`n`ri fire[ti cu arhitectura civil` de târg, cât`s-a mai p`strat, din ora[e valahe precum Câmpulung, Pite[tisau chiar Bucure[ti, ca [i din sudul Dun`rii, m`rturisindaceea[i origine balcanic`. Cartierul Anadalchioi (adic` Satul Anatolienilor) a fost inte-grat în 1975 municipiului Constan]a sub denumirea alfanu-meric` de Tomis 3. Împresurat` de betoane moderne,numai geamia ridicat` în 1870 perpetueaz` amintirea fostu-lui sat de pescari. Înzestrat cu balcon de beton [i colivie metalic`, minaretul î[i p`streaz` demn silueta, menirea [isemnifica]ia simbolic`. Retras` în verdea]a gr`dinii, geamia


154 PEISAJ�DOBROGEAN

pare una din casele vechi r`mase în dosul blocurilor. Privitàtent se arat` a fi o tipic` geamie de sat, impun`toare când-va, cu ferestre mari, care lumineaz` din plin sala u[orsupraîn`l]at`, atât cât s` încap` în ea [i galeria de lemn rezervat` femeilor. Localitatea Cobadin, întemeiat` de coloni[ti adu[i din altestepe ale imperiului otoman, [i-a p`strat numele originar,spre deosebire de altele, care dup` 1878 [i dup` 1948 auprimit denumiri noi, conjuncturale sau chiar întåmpl`toare.Prosperul Cobadin avea în anii ‘30 patru geamii, vechi [i înparagin`. Au c`zut în timp, abandonate, dup` ce s-a ridicatactualul l`ca[, în 1934. Se remarc` prin exuberan]a croma -tic`, tipic oriental`, a faian]ei ce împodobe[te peretele sudic,cu cele trei elemente de cult: kürsür-ul, mihrabul [i mim-berul. Este una cele mai recente geamii prezentate în acestalbum, ca o verig` de leg`tur` cu cele ce le-au urmat, în tre-cutul recent (una chiar în Cobadin, în 1963) [i mai ales înultimul deceniu.Alte geamii de sat, interesante prin aspectele surprinse înimagini, dar care au în primul rând o valoare de grup, suntenumerate astfel: Abrud, 1914; Albe[ti (Akba[ – Cap Alb),1865; Brebeni, 1871; Castelu (Borlak), 1870; Ciocârlia(Büyük Bülbül – Privighetoarea Mare), 1879; Ciocârlia deSus (Küçük Bülbül – Privighetoarea Mic`), 1872; Ciucurova(Çukurova – Valea Adanca), 1922; Cotu Vìi (Kiragi –Arenda[ul), 1880; Dulce[ti (Küçük Tatligea; Tatlageac –dulce), 1891; Gr`dina, 1860; Hagieni (Hagilar), 1856;Movili]a (Musurat), 1870; Nisipari (Caratai), 1860; PoartaAlb`, 1877; Valu lui Traian (Hasancea), 1905.Geamii, minarete, fântâni, monumente funerare – sunt documente mai trainice [i mai evidente decât cele dinbiblio teci [i arhive, privitoare la via]a celor care le-au con-struit, a celor ce le îngrijesc [i le frecventeaz`. A le parcurge[i a le descifra este o aventur` pl`cut`, pasionant` [i – credem cu t`rie – necesar`.

The commune of Cobadin, founded by colonists from othersteppes of the Ottoman empire, retained its original name,unlike other settlements that after 1878 and then again after1948 were given new, sometimes conjectural sometimes evenrandom names. During the '30s, the prosperous Cobadin hadfour mosques, old and derelict. Today they are crumbled to theground, abandoned after the building of the current house ofworship, in 1934. One may remark upon the typically Orientalchromatic exuberance of the tiles covering the southern wall,bearing the three worship elements: the kürsür, the mihrab andthe mimber. This is one of the most recent mosques covered inthis album, a link to the ones that followed in the more recentpast (including another one in Cobadin in 1963) and thenespecially during the last decade.Other village mosques, though individually interesting whencaught on image, hold rather a group value, and we enumeratethem thus: Abrud, 1914; Albe[ti (Akba[ – White Head), 1865;Brebeni, 1871; Castelu (Borlak), 1870; Ciocârlia (Büyük Bülbül– Big Nightingale), 1879; Ciocârlia de Sus (Küçük Bülbül –Small Nightingale), 1872; Ciucurova (Çukurova – Deep Valley),1922; Cotu Vìi (Kiragi – Tenant), 1880; Dulce[ti (KüçükTatligea; Tatlageac – sweet), 1891; Gr`dina, 1860; Hagieni(Hagilar), 1856; Movili]a (Musurat), 1870; Nisipari (Caratai),1860; Poarta Alb`, 1877; Valu lui Traian (Hasancea), 1905.Mosques, minarets, fountains, funeral monuments – these aremore obvious and durable documents concerning the lives oftheir builders, care-takers and worshipers than the papers andscrolls that collect dust in libraries and archives. To 'browse'through them and decipher them is a pleasant, even thrillingendeavour that we – strongly – believe is necessary.


155 GEAMIA�ANADALCHIOI. CONSTAN}A


156 GEAMIA DIN F~UREI


157 GEAMIA DIN F~UREI


164 GEAMIA DIN COBADIN


165 GEAMIA DIN COBADIN


186 GEAMIA DIN ALBE{TI


187 GEAMIA DIN ALBE{TI


192 CIMITIR DIN CIOCÅRLIA DE� SUS


193 CIMITIR DIN VADU


198 BIBLIOGRAFIE

Ioan Adam, Constan]a pitoreasc` cu împrejurimile ei, Bucure[ti, 1908. Andrei Aricescu, Noi date despre cetatea de la Hâr[ova, în Pontica, IV, pp. 351-370, Constan]a, 1971.

Cintian B`rbuleanu, Monografia ora[ului Babadag, Bucure[ti, 1998M. Boca, Dobrogea veche în stampe [i gravuri (1826-1882), în Pontica, I, pp. 455-507, Constan]a, 1968.

Stelian Brezeanu, O istorie a Imperiului Bizantin, Bucure[ti, 1981.Marin Ionescu-Dobrogianu, Dobrogia \n pragul veacului al XX-lea, Bucure[ti, 1904.

Petre Diaconu, Date noi privind „Valul mare de p`månt” din Dobrogea, în Peuce, IV, pp.199-209, Tulcea, 1975.Neagu Djuvara, Între Orient [i Occident. }`rile române la începutul epocii moderne, Bucure[ti,1995.

Radu Florescu, Ghidul arheologic al Dobrogei, Bucure[ti, 1968.Constantin G`venea, Amintiri [i imagini din Tulcea de odinioar`, Bucure[ti, 1983.

Tasin Gemil, Românii [i Otomanii în secolele XIV-XVI, Constan]a 2008; Mihail Guboglu [i Mustafa Mehmet, Cronici turce[ti privind }`rile Române, Bucure[ti, 1966.

Inalcik Halil, Imperiul otoman. Epoca clasic`, Bucure[ti, 1996.Adrian-Silvan Ionescu, Cruce [i Semilun`. R`zboiul ruso-turc din 1853-1854 în chipuri [i imagini, Bucure[ti, 2001.Ion Ionescu de la Brad, Excursion agricole dans la plaine de la Dobroudja, în Journal de Constantinopole, 1850.

Nicolae Ionescu-Johnson, Însemn`rile unui marinar, Gala]i, 1958,Nicolae Iorga, Istoria bisericii române[ti [i a vie]ii religioase a Românilor, Bucure[ti, 1928.

Ioan Mu[at, Istoricul ora[ului Cernavoda, Bucure[ti, 1938.Niculescu Varone, Monografiile ora[elor [i m`n`stirilor,1885-1938, Bucure[ti, 1939.

Doina P`uleanu, Virgil Coman, Moscheea Regal` „Carol I” Constan]a 1910-2010, Constan]a, 2010.Adrian R`dulescu, Ion Bitoleanu, Istoria românilor dintre Dun`re [i Mare – Dobrogea, Bucure[ti, 1979.

N. C. Munteanu-Sculeni, M`cinul [i \mprejurimile sale, Br`ila, 1930. Gavril` Simion, Ge]ii de la Dun`rea de Jos [i civiliza]ia lor, în Culturi antice în zona gurilor Dun`rii, Cluj-Napoca, 2003.

Vasile Pârvan, Începuturile vie]ii romane la gurile Dun`rii, Bucure[ti, 1923.Laz`r {eineanu, Elemente turce[ti în limba român`. Influen]a oriental`, în Revista pentru istorie, arheologie [i filologie, Bucure[ti, 1885

Vasile Stavru Teodorof, Puntea dintre z`ri – Cernavoda dragostea mea, Constan]a, 1996.

www.patrimoniu.ro, www.inmi.ro, cimec.ro, www.monumenteromania.ro, antropolog.ro, culte.ro, muftiyat.ro,constanta.djc.ro, mangalia.ro, cernavoda.wordpress.com, noviodunum.ro, www.tulcea.djc.ro, primariatulcea.ro, deltadunarii.info.ro,

info-delta.ro, graiuldobrogei.ro, mistereledunarii.wordpress.com, www.dezvaluiri.ro, haihui-prin-dobrogea.blogspot.com, tatar-tatarman.blogspot.ro, japanontop.com, numericana.com, wordpress.com, wikipedia.org

BIBLIOGRAFIEBIBLIOGRAPHY


199 COLOFON

Geamii. Minarete pe cerul Dobrogei Mosques. Minarets in a Dobrogea sky

este al optulea album din colec]ia igloopatrimoniu.is the eighth album in the iglooheritage series.

board editorial / editorial board Bruno Andre[oiu, Adrian Cioc`zanucoordonator proiect / project coordinator Bruno Andre[oiu

foto / photo {erban Bonciocattexte / texts Cristian Br`c`cescu, Mihai Maxim

grafic` / graphic design C`t`lin Artenieprelucrare foto / image editing {erban Bonciocat, Robert Dumitru,

Cristian Davideditare text / text editing Andreea Amzoiu

traducere / translation Smaranda Nicolau, Andrea Nastactiraj / copies 2000, hârtie / paper 150 g/mp

tip`rit la / printed by Masterprint,editura / edited by igloomedia, noiembrie 2012

Muftiatul Cultului Musulman din România, Muftiu Iusuf Muurat, Institutul Na]ional al Patrimoniului, domnilor [i doamnelor: Teodor B`nic`, Usein Evren, Mustafa Gefer, Elmi Gemal, Halil Ismet, Josef Kovacs, Sanda Lazur,Omer Memnune, Osman Negeat, Meni[a Orhan, Talip Revan, Veli Revan, Ibram Salim, Omer Sebat, Memet Sebatin,

Iuliu {erban, Dinci Hasan, Aynur Abduraman, Petra Vlad, Negoat Sali, Redin Abduraman.

COLOFONCOLOPHON

MUL}UMIRIAKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Dac` [tii s`-l cau]i, departele poate fi mai aproape decåt crezi. Nu-i nevoie s`parcurgi jum`tate din circumferin]a terestr` ca s` descoperi oameni, credin]e [i– întrucât subiectul ne preocup` – cl`diri aparte, cu alt` fire [i alc`tuire decâtcele ce credem c` unanim ne înconjoar`. Saltul peste meridiane, de care sun-tem scuti]i, l-au f`cut cu veacuri în urm`, în momente diverse, cu n`zuin]ediverse, coloni[ti de felurite neamuri, avånd ca numitor comun legea islamu-lui. Dup` trecerea multor genera]ii [i administra]ii, au devenit cu des`vår[ire ailocului, pe care, dup` vorba din b`trâni, l-au sfin]it. Printre altele [i cu un grupde monumente cu totul aparte: geamiile dobrogene.

If you know where to look, far, far away can be much nearer than you mightthink. You needn't look half a world away to discover people, beliefs and –since we're interested in the subject – unique buildings, different in both makeand character from what we unanimously assume constitutes our surround-ings. We no longer need to leap over meridians because the leap was in fact per-petrated centuries ago, at various moments in time, with diverse goals in mind,by colonists of different ethnicities, all linked by the common denominatorthat is the law of Islam. Many generations and administrations later, they werecompletely integrated in their new environment. They were now the peoplewho, as an old saying goes, sanctified the place with their presence, but alsowith a very special group of monuments: Dobrogean mosques.

Cristian Br`c`cescu



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Geamii. Minarete pe cerul Dobrogei

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