Poarta Albă

With regard to the geographical location, Poarta Albă commune is located 24 km northwest of Constanta, in Medgidia Plateau, and includes the following villages: Poarta Alba - common residence and Nazarcea (Găleşu). The village is crossed throughout its howl length, from north to south, by the Bucharest-Constanta E60 route. North of the commune, from the Danube-Black Sea Canal branches off- the channel Poarta Albă-Năvodari. Most residents are of Romanian nationality, which coexist with Turks and Tatars ethnic groups.

Historical data regarding the modern age offers many clues about the evolution of the commune.

It seems that the Alakap village was established in 1812 of a few tens of families of Tartars and Turks. Romanian population growth determined changing the name of the old Turkish name of Alakap with Poarta Albă in 1930. The intention to build a waterway existed from the mid nineteenth century and was put into circulation by Ion Ionescu de la Brad.

Different construction projects succeeded before, at a turning point in history, building the canal developed under unprecedented political dimensions, whereas in the period 1950-1953 between those who have started to working at the channel were political prisoners and thus Poarta Alba became the name of a feared forced labor camp.

Basically, work was halted in 1953. Within Poarta Alba commune is situated the maximum security prison with the same name, originally built for housing prisoners in the work planning use of the Danube-Black Sea Channel. The official inauguration took place on May 26, 1984 and links the port of Constanţa to Cernavodă port, shortening the distance to the sea with 400 km. On 29 September 2000 it was inaugurated a Commemorative Column which is dedicated to political prisoners from 1950-1953.

Excavations along the Danube-Black Sea Canal in the early 1950s have given rise to a number of archaeological finds of great importance for the whole area. Thus, on 21 February 1951 was found a deposit of gold and bronze on the occasion of excavations on the territory of Poarta Albă, namely at the foot of the eastern slope of Galeşului Valley. North of Poarta Albă, the route Danube River - Black Sea crosses a Great Earth Wave, on a length of 30 meters. In 1951 it was recorded discovering a fragment of late Roman pottery or start of Byzantine period, on the western bark and 1.75 m depth. In La Suta site, north-east of Galeşu ,ceramic material was extracted prior to the Roman administration and approximately 3 km northeast of Galeşu, on the eastern side of Nazarcea Valley were brought to the surface of amorphous fragments, tiles and stones from the Roman period. In 1958 a very special discovery was made in the municipality of Poarta Albă, namely two whole tusks of mammoth of considerable proportions found in the loess layer at a depth of about 12 meters.

Specific activities include agriculture where the predominant crops are corn, wheat, sunflower, vegetables and potatoes. The main economic activities are related to cereals production, vines, vegetable, livestock, agricultural services and trade.

Tourist attractions found in the area are the History Museum, the mosque of the eighteenth-century, the medieval castle ruins of Axiopolis, "St. Constantine and Elena" Church from 1882, the railway bridges over the Danube, built by Anghel Saligny during 1890-1895 (total length of 4037m), the river port, the fossil point, the monument of former political prisoners, the two waterways Danube River-Black Sea. Among the local events, starting with 2008, every year on 31 July, it is celebrating the Poarta Albă Commune’s festival.

Source:

http://www.zmc.ro/membri/comuna-poarta-alba/

http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poarta_Alb%C4%83,_Constan%C8%9Ba

www.primariapoartaalba.ro/