Name
Enisala

Country
Romania

Location
The ruins of the medieval city Yeni-Sale (Enisala, Enişala, Heraclee or Heraclia) are located 2 km from Enisala locality on a limestone hill that dominates lakes Razim and Babadag; on the western side there are vertical walls of rock of about 70 m height (the fortification is 116 meters above the sea level); 44° 53′ N and 28° 40′ E

Foundation Date
Late 13th – early 14th century

Current Condition
It is an archaeological site, situated 2 km away from the actual Enisala village. The fortification was part of the Genoese colony chain which included the cities at the Danube mouths. It has an irregular polygonal plan with towers at the corners. The precinct walls, city towers and bastions, partially preserved and restored, are mostly maintained at a height of 5-0 m. The main entrance is to the south, flanked to the east by a hexagonal tower which has shooting windows parallel to the curtain wall; access was from the watch road and the traces of this entrance are still visible. Inside we can identify traces of the shooting galleries. This second entrance used to facilitate communication with the alleged port from the above mentioned village. The main entrance is three meters wide and four meters height. There were other two hexagonal towers at the north-east and south-east corners and a square plan tower at the middle of the north sides. The western curtain wall is protected by the steep hill and therefore there are no additional fortifications; there is just a massive, rectangular shaped masonry spur for support.

The fortification should be visited not only for the history it holds, but also for the great sights that it provides, since it is situated on top of a small hill, which offers a nice view of the fields all around and the lagoon nearby

Learn more about Enisala at Olkas.net (http://www.olkas.net/lemmata/29_Enisala)