Ada Kaleh

Temporarily called Ada Kaleh Caroline Island and New Orschowa, was an island in the Danube, which was seed off from 1968 Iron because of the construction of the Romanian- Yugoslav power plant gate 1 and 1971 fell into the Danube. She lay at the level of the Romanian city Orşova and the Serbian village tekija.

Description

Ada Kaleh was until 1912 a leftover Turkish enclave. At about 1.7 km long and 0.5 km wide island is a fortress and a small village with a mosque were, a bazaar, a small Orthodox chapel, several coffee houses and a governor palace. The last 600 (according to other sources 1000) predominantly Turkish inhabitants lived mainly on fishing and the production of confectionery and tobacco products. In the 20th century a lively tourism developed. Ada Kaleh served the residents of the surrounding regions as a romantic destination and, thanks to a tax exemption as a popular shopping option for Turkish delicacies, jewelry and tobacco products. Ada Kaleh was also famous for its rose growing, and derived products ( rose oil and perfume).

The climate on Ada Kaleh was different than the climate on the mainland. The vegetation was lush with numerous varieties of fig, mulberry, almond and Esskastanienbäumen. Various fruit were used for the production of preserves, which were prepared in the island. Other sweets such as Turkish Delight (Romanian Rahat ) or sherbet, prepared mainly from sugar and fruit, were very popular with the many tourists. From roses and perfume oil were produced. The main road on the island was called Ezarzia, here, most shops where you could buy jewelry, fabric or Ada - Kaleh - contained cigarettes.

History

The first mention of the small island dates back to ancient times, but is deeply rooted in myth: Herodotus calls them " Cyraunis " Eratosthenes " Yernis ". In the Middle Ages it was first mentioned under the name "Ada Kaleh " (the island fortress ). In later documents, we repeatedly see the name " Caroline ", " Porizza " and "Ada - I- Kebir " as a name for the island.

In the conflict between Austria and the Ottoman Empire, the island gained a certain strategic importance because of its exposed position. The Austrian army built a fort there in 1689 as a bulwark against the Ottoman Empire and named the island henceforth New Orschowa. In the following decades Ada Kaleh changed hands several times between Austria and the Ottoman Empire back and forth, remained after the Treaty of Belgrade of 1739 finally permanently with the Ottomans, interrupted only by a intermediate Austrian occupation from 1789 to 1791. , The island was in 1877 by Austria - occupied Hungary, but at the Berlin Congress forgot to clarify their status so that they remained under Austria - Hungarian administration in subsequent years. After the disintegration of the Habsburg monarchy, the islanders decided in 1923 to connect to Romania. The population remained predominantly Turkish. With the completion of the hydroelectric plant at the Iron Gate Ada Kaleh was seed off and 1971 flooded. The attempt to rescue the island's culture by population displacement and dislocation of historically valuable buildings failed in the further downstream location Romanian Simian island. The people of Ada Kaleh preferred to other parts of Romania, for example, to move into the Dobrogea or emigrate to Turkey. Prior to the flooding of Ada Kaleh island was leveled by deforestation and demolition of all remaining buildings.

In the years before the flood moving to tourism on the island is becoming stronger. For the visitors, special arrangements have been made, as the Romanian authorities feared that the people could flee across the border into Yugoslavia. On arrival all their badges had left to the border guards. Also, strangers were not allowed to spend the night on the island. The boundary layer had an increasingly negative impact on the quality of life and freedom of movement of the islanders from. After 8 clock in the evening they were not allowed to return from the mainland to the island or leave.

Legend

To put it specifies the name of the island is a legend that says that there was a Sultan called Kaleh, who was deeply in love with one of his wives. That's why he decided to terminate his whole harem and to live alone with Ada on the island in the middle of the Danube. Because this such a fate would not accept, she threw herself in despair into the water and drowned. You owe the island its name.

Quotes

In " The millennial Hungary and the Millennium Exhibition" from 1896 states:

A romantic remnant of the former Ottoman rule on the lower Danube is this, on the Hungarian -Romanian- Serbian border, located immediately below Orsova small Danube island whose geringzahlige, exclusively Turkish residents still are subjects of the Sultan, the island territory itself is, however, the same basis of a decision of the Berlin Congress to ulterior control of the political situation, still under the interim military supremacy of the Austro- Hungarian Empire. On the island there is already one in previous times thought to be impregnable, but now left to decay given fortress.