Kladovo

Kladovo is an ancient small city at the exit from the Djerdap gorge. On the opposite river bank there is the Romanian city Turn Severin, with shipyard and large crane which dominate over the panoramic view. The entrance into the port is right next to the city walls of the Fetislam fortress. The name of the fortress translated from Turkish language has the meaning protection of Islam, what tells enough about the importance that Turkish sultans attributed to this fortification. The fortress is consisted of the small and large city. Small town was built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent at 1524. It was a place where Turkish troupes were concentrated during invasion to Central Europe. Large fortification was built from 1717 until 1739, the period when Turkey, exhausted with attempts to become a ruler over greater part of the Europe, had to dedicate itself on defending its territories. After breakdown of the First Serbian Rising, Sultan Mahmud II renewed the fortification in the period from 1818 to 1839. The fortress had six bastions connected with strong walls. Around the fortification there was a trench with folding bridges. The fortress had two gates facing the land called Baroš and Orospi and another one towards the Danube, called Dunav kapija (Danube gate). Above the gate there were boards with inscriptions

„THE GUARD OF RELIGION AND STATE, SHAH RESTORED THE FETISLAM CITY,THIS MIGHTY SAH, WINNER OF THE WHOLE WORLD, SHAH MAHMOUD EQUAL TO ALEXANDER.”

At only 100m distance from the marina, there is the Archeological Museum of Djerdap that has the organized exhibition with prehistoric items as well as from the Roman period. The visit to this institution is very precious for getting the real idea related to Djerdap’s archeological treasure and its significance in antique time. Enlarged photos are preserved of the archeological excavations, which were overflown with the erecting of the dam. Kladovo was not sunken with the construction of the dam, so the old part of the town is preserved. Crkva Svetog Georgija (The Church of HolyGeorges) in the center was built in 1862. Kladovo has numerous restaurant facilities with summer gardens and variety of dishes and desserts. The high building of the Djerdap Hotel dominates on the riverbank. The supreme specialty of restaurants is caviar of Kladovo and stake made of white sturgeon. After a construction of the dam, for these fish species the road to their spawning place was blocked, so they could be fished only before the Djerdap II dam. During a stay in the port, one must pay attention to the decrease of the water level, which depends on working regime of dam and the power plant Djerdap II. The port doesn’t have a regular guard. The shops in Kladovo are well supplied, and the fuel station is located near by the port. Downstream from Kladovo, at 928,9 km, there is one of Trayan’s brigde pillars preserved. Many historians consider the bridge as a real miracle of construction of the antique world. It was built only in two years, from 103 – 105, in the prime of the logistic preparations for the great conquest of Dakia (today’s Romania). In the quality of the bridge, as designer, most frequently is mentioned Apolodor from Damascus, who, at that time, was a respectable military and civil architect of the emperor Trayan. The bridge was 1127 meters long, and placed on 20 pillars made of brick in their lower part covered by cobbled stone. The pillars were placed each 50 meters. They were high enough not to obstacle the navigation even when the water level was high. Wooden construction was collocated on the pillars. The bridge was under permanent surveillance and in its vicinity there was a strong military fortification called Kastel Pontes. The remains of the fortification are still visible. The Trayan’s successor Hadrian ordered that the wooden construction of the bridge should be burned in order to prevent the invasion of the barbarian tribes. According to the notes from the emperor Justinian, the bridge had already been in ruins.

At 941 km, in Karataš there are remains of the ancient Roman fortification called Dijana. The fortification was built by Trayan at the time of his large construction work and preparation for the invasion to Dakia. The fortress at the same time protected the canal entrance and access to the Trayan’s bridge in Kladovo. This fortification is the best preserved Roman castrum in Djerdap.

Source: www.kladovo.org.rs