Roman & DacianDobruja & the Black Sea

Histria: the oldest Greek city on Romanian soil

Histria is the ruined Greek and Roman city beside Lake Sinoe, near the village of Istria in Dobruja, Romania. Founded by settlers from Miletus in the 7th century BC, it is regarded as the oldest urban settlement on Romanian territory and one of the best-studied ancient sites in the country.

Histria once stood on the Black Sea shore, yet today its ruins sit beside a lagoon: silt from the Danube slowly cut the city off from the sea, and that helped end it.

WhereBeside Lake Sinoe, near the village of Istria, Dobruja, Romania

TypeAncient Greek and Roman city, 7th century BC to 7th century AD

Best forAncient history, temple foundations, Roman baths and the Danube Delta region

Getting thereNear the village of Istria, north of Năvodari; Castrum Argamum is about 27 km away and the Genoese Lighthouse about 43 km

The history of Histria

Histria was founded by settlers from Miletus in the 7th century BC, on a peninsula of what was then the Black Sea coast, close to the mouths of the Danube. Ancient writers date the foundation differently: Eusebius to about 657 BC, Pseudo-Scymnus to about 630 BC. The colonists came to trade with the local Getae, and pottery, coins and amphora fragments show busy exchange with Miletus, Rhodes, Samos and Athens. The city also controlled its own territory, reaching about 20 km to the west.

Around 480 BC Histria issued the earliest documented coinage on Romanian territory, a silver drachma of about 8 grams. Its fortunes were not steady. Archaeologists trace several destructions, probably by the Scythians around the turn of the 6th and 5th centuries BC, and again in the Hellenistic period during conflicts with the Getae, the Bastarnae and the garrison of Mithridates. New walls and temples followed each time. In Hellenistic times the city gained a gymnasium and a theatre and became an important grain supplier for Greece.

The Romans first occupied the region in 71 BC, and in 29 BC Histria came firmly under Roman rule within the province of Moesia. From the 1st to the 3rd century AD it prospered again, with a new enclosure wall, two bath complexes and temples. An inscription from about AD 100 notes that salted fish from the Danube Delta was almost the city’s only income. In 238 the city was razed by the Carpi and the Goths, then rebuilt on a much smaller area of about 6–7 hectares behind a stronger wall.

In the 4th to 6th centuries Histria was an important Christian centre, with an episcopal basilica in the middle of the city and at least five other basilicas. Meanwhile silt from the Danube was closing the bay that served as its harbour and gradually cutting the city off from the sea. In the 6th century luxurious town houses with colonnaded courtyards were still being built, but the invasions of the Avars and the Slavs finally destroyed the city, and its name disappeared.

The ruins were identified in 1868 by the French archaeologist Ernest Desjardins, and excavations began in 1914 under Vasile Pârvan. Teams of Romanian and international archaeologists have worked here ever since, and the Histria Museum, founded in 1982, shows some of the finds. The site carries the European Heritage Label, and most of the 60-hectare Greek city has still not been excavated.

Curiosities about Histria

The silver drachma issued around 480 BC is the earliest documented coin on present-day Romanian territory.
The Danube’s mouths are now about 70 km away: silt closed off the ancient coastline, which became the western shore of Lake Sinoe.
The episcopal basilica, more than 60 m long and 30 m wide, was uncovered in 1969 and ranks among the largest early Christian churches in the region.
Water reached the city through a Roman aqueduct about 20 km long.
Archaeologists have found evidence of human sacrifice in a late Archaic burial mound in the city’s northern cemetery.
The excavation project and the site feature prominently in the film The Ister.

Tours near Histria

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Golden Hour Guided Tour: Histria Citadel & Local Wine Tasting

★ 5 (1 reviews) · 5 h

See details ›

GROUP Guided Day Trip to the Danube Delta, Tulcea - Letea

★ 4.8 (102 reviews) · 9 h

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Guided Birdwatching day trip to the Danube Delta - private program

★ 5 (28 reviews) · 6 h

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Danube Delta Tour from Tulcea to Mila 23, Letea Forest and Sulina

★ 4.7 (23 reviews) · 10 h

See details ›

Visiting Histria: what to see

A defensive wall with towers and bastions encloses the small late Roman town of about 7 hectares, which includes the former Greek acropolis.
In the sacred area you can see the remains of Greek temples, and nearby paved streets, houses, workshops, baths and civil and Christian basilicas, including the remains of shops with a counter preserved to its full height.
The Histria Museum shows Greek, Roman and Byzantine finds such as amphorae, inscriptions, pottery, glass and lamps.
The area lies within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and is known for birdlife, so it suits a quiet walk with a view over Lake Sinoe.
Check the current opening hours before you go. Castrum Argamum, about 27 km away, and the Genoese Lighthouse, about 43 km away, are the nearest other sites in this guide.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Histria is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Histria

Questions

Where is Histria?

Histria lies on the shore of Lake Sinoe near the village of Istria in Dobruja, Romania, north of Năvodari.

How old is Histria?

It was founded in the 7th century BC by settlers from Miletus. Ancient writers give 657 BC or 630 BC, so it is considered the oldest urban settlement on Romanian territory.

Why is Histria no longer on the sea?

Silt from the Danube closed off the bay that served as the harbour and created the lagoon system of Lake Sinoe, which gradually cut the city off from the sea.

What can you see at Histria?

Visitors can see the defensive walls, remains of Greek temples, Roman baths, civil and Christian basilicas and paved streets, plus the site museum.

Who excavated Histria?

Ernest Desjardins identified the ruins in 1868, and Vasile Pârvan began the excavations in 1914. Several generations of archaeologists have continued the work.

What is near Histria?

Castrum Argamum is about 27 km away, the Genoese Lighthouse about 43 km, Capidava about 55 km and Halmyris about 63 km.