Romanian cities: the old harbour city of Constanta

One of the main cities in Romania, at the crossroads of several commercial routes, Constanta is an industrial, commercial and tourist center and the oldest Romanian city, the town where Roman poet Ovid has been exiled during ancient times. By Alina Andriescu Known by the name of Tomis in ancient times, Constanta is the oldest Romanian city, founded around 600 BC. It is the largest city in the region of Dobrogea and lays on the coast of the Black Sea. Its metropolitan area comes second after Bucharest, comprising other 14 localities. Constanta covers 70 percent of the area of its county- also named Constanta - with 446,000 inhabitants. With an area of 39.26 sqkm, the Constanţa Harbour (Portul Constanta) is the largest harbour on the Black Sea and one of the largest ports in Europe. More about the Constanta Harbour on its official website here. Tomis was originally a Greek colony engaged in trade with the local Getic population. After the Romans conquered the area in 29 BC, the Roman poet Ovid (Ovidiu) came here, banished by emperor Augustus, and stayed here for the rest of his life. In his poems Tristia and Epistulae Ex Ponto, Ovid talks about his exile in Tomis, finding this city "a town located in a war-stricken cultural wasteland on the remotest margins of the empire". A statue of Ovid stands nowadays in the Ovid Square (Piaţa Ovidiu) in Constanţa, in front of the History Museum - which is the former City Hall. The name of Tomis later became Constantiana in honour of Constantia, the half-sister of Constantine the Great (274-337). Over the years, Constanta became one of the most important trade nodes, as more than half of the national exports were made through its port. The region developed and went to host the largest and modern Romanian sea-side resorts. Its beach is 13 km long and is usually filled with tourists during the entire summer. Tourism has always been one of the city’s main economic activities. Besides tourism and trade, Constanta is also an important cultural and educational centre worth exploring, very rich in archaeological treasures – plenty of historical monuments and ancient ruins to explore. If the sea is not enough reason for a stay, there are several sights you don't want to miss while in Constanta. The statue dedicated to the Roman poet Publius Ovidius, designed by the sculptor Ettore Ferrari in 1887 is one of them. Another main sight is the Edifice of Roman Mosaics, once a vast three - levelled complex which used to connect the upper part of the town to the harbour. Built at the end of the 4th century AD and developed over the centuries, it served as the city’s main commercial centre until the 7th century. Nowadays, only one third of the original edifice is left. Archaeological sites here showcase the existence of what were once workshops and warehouses. Some remains of public Roman baths can still be visible. The