Sarmizegetusa

On the top of Orastie Mountains, well guarded by the natural towers and waves of the highs, there is over 2000 years a complex of fortifications of which remarkable is the Sarmizegetusa fortress from Gradistea Muncelului, a political and military center of the Dacians. The ruins show pieces of that was one the jewel and pride of the old Dacian State.

The fortress, a quadrilateral formed by massive stone blocks, was constructed on five terraces, on an area of almost 3 ha. In the fortress the roads were paved with stones. Near the ruins of the fortress there are the ruins of some constructions, probable with religious character: The big quadrilateral Sanctuary and the little round Sanctuary. The stones from the little sanctuary are put in a certain order, symbolizing the sun rays, having of course, a role of a calendar. The ruins of a temple and a guard tower, fragments of ceramics, fire places, tools and installations of spring water collection, are proofs of the life on these places.

Some inscriptions discovered on the stone blocks of the sanctuaries, coins, arms as well as a ceramic vessel with the stamp "Decebalus per Scorilo" ("Decebal son of Scorilo") have given to the researchers the possibility to consider that this settlement existed in the times when in Dacia was ruled by Burebista and next Decebal.

After the defeat of the Dacians the fortress was conquered by the Romans, which established here a military garrison, from which we can see the ruins of a building and of a bath.