Outer View Of Porta Praetoria At Porolissum

Title

Outer View Of Porta Praetoria At Porolissum

Artist

Tibor Tivadar Kui

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

The reconstructed 'Porta Praetoria' seen from outside of the Porolissum castrum, ancient Roman fort built at the very edge of the empire.

The historical site of Porolissum lies at the northern extremity of the Meseș Mt., about 8 km east of the modern city of Zalău (Romania). In 106 AD, at the beginning of his second war against the Dacians, the Roman emperor Trajan established a military stronghold at the site to defend the main passageway through the Carpathian mountains. The fort, initially built of wood on stone foundations, was garrisoned with 5000 auxiliary troops. In the following decades, the fort was enlarged and rebuilt in stone (possibly under the reign of Marcus Aurelius) using ‘opus incertum’ construction technique, and a canaba, a civilian settlement developed around the military center. When Hadrian created the new province Dacia Porolissensis (named after the sizable city itself) in 124, Porolissum became the administrative center of the province. Under emperor Septimius Severus, the city was granted municipium status, allowing its leaders and merchants to act independently. Although the Romans withdrew from Dacia ca. 271 under Aurelian, Porolissum may have been gradually abandoned in the course of the 260's.
During the early medieval age the site was lost in the mist of history. In the 12th century it reappears in documents as the location of an abbey founded by Hungarians, which also was abandoned by the end of 14th century. However, the nearby village of Moigrad, presumably founded by Goths, persisted during the centuries. Limited archaeological work at Porolissum began in the 19th century, but it was not until 1977 when Romanian archaeologists began larger-scale, systematic excavations. What is seen today is almost entirely reconstruction, the site is open to visitors.
(Photo taken: August 2021 )

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August 8th, 2021

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