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The royal residences in Constanta and their history

For more than 100 years, the royal residences in Constanta have been a topic of interest for those passionate about famous architectures. I really admire those who have built something in their lives and have left behind important achievements, which will be long talked about. And while we are still talking about royalty and the inheritance it has left us, one of my favourite quotes from Queen Elizabeth’s writings is: “If we are indeed made in God’s image, then we must be creators.” The examples are numerous, but I will narrow the area to Dobrudja, for which King Carol I had a clear vision of the region’s economic development. If we think that a century has passed since then, we will appreciate that the his effort is even more remarkable.

The Royal Palace in Constanta

The first royal residence was built in Constanta by the central authorities starting with the year 1903. The palace was raised for the royal family, who frequently came to the city by the sea from 1905 until the death of King Carol I. The royal palace was designed by architect Grigore Cerchez whose plans were modified by Daniel Renard, who made the Constanta Casino. He introduced Art-Nouveau elements: a gazebo balcony, a corner tower, a terrace with high windows and curved lines designed to attenuate the angles. The royal residence was acquired after World War I by the Ministry of Justice and for a while it was the headquarters of the Court of Appeal. Currently, the building is a historic monument of national interest and the Constanta Tribunal operates within it. However, Queen Elizabeth felt alienated in that palace, which seemed to be far from the sea, and opted for the Royal Pavilion, which she received as a present from her husband few years later.

The Royal Pavilion, the present received by Queen Elizabeth from her husband, King Carol I

King Carol I had a real country project for Dobrudja that materialised through unparalleled construction. It is about Cernavodă Bridge and Constanta Port. In addition, he planned with Anghel Saligny, who was the director of the works in Constanta Port, to surprise his wife, Queen Elisabeth. In 1910, they decided to build for her, after the works of the pier completed, a house in the shape of a boat, I have learned from Doina Păuleanu, the director of the Constanta Art Museum. In the Royal Pavilion project, a great emphasis was placed on the terrace of the dwelling, a place where the queen stayed very often, to be close to the sea she loved enormously. She also spent the nights writing on the terrace. From there, the Queen greeted the ships that went in and out of Constanta Port, waving a white handkerchief. Queen Elizabeth enjoyed only 3 years of her new summer home inaugurated in 1911 because she died shortly after her husband, Carol I. About the Queen’s strong personality, her love for the Black Sea and her above-average intelligence, you can find out more information in this article.

The Royal Pavilion became “The Queen’s Nest”

The Royal Pavilion returned to the princely and later royal family, Ferdinand and Marie. Queen Marie often went, accompanied by her children, to the pavilion, which she modernised and called “The Queen’s Nest”. She had the idea of these “nests”, she personalised her homes, including with her own ideas, drawings and decorations. Her first nest was made in Sinaia near Pelişor. Queen Marie did not have enough time to attach to this pavilion because she discovered the beach and the Castle from Mamaia.

The Royal Villa in Mamaia, Queen Marie’s project

The Royal Pavilion burned after a short circuit and was rebuilt, but at that time “Băile Mamaia” resort became a more interesting area. It was inaugurated in 1906, and in 1923, Queen Marie, who was riding a galloping horse on the seashore, decided to make a royal villa for her there. Although she was involved in its construction and constantly inspected the works, made plans, sketches and projects, the Queen later discovered Balchik, which she fell in love with irretrievably. She also built a royal palace with a whole series of suspended gardens, which became her favourite place for summer holidays. With the completion of the seashore construction, Queen Marie moved to Balchik in 1937 and left the property from Mamaia to Mother Queen Elena and Prince Mihai, who soon became king.

There was a very close relationship between Dobrudja and the royal family. King Carol I attempted to connect and modernise a border province of the Ottoman Empire, which joined the country in 1878. Constanta, Kiustenge back then, was just a sleepy and thrown into oblivion village. It was exploited as a port because the king thought that “Without the sea, our country has far fewer commercial, economic and even cultural and spiritual opportunities.”

May 6, 2019
The Constanta Casino and its fabulous history

All those who love the architecture of the Constanta Casino have been waiting for ages for the derelict symbolic building of the city to be rehabilitated. One can shoot a film out of the dramas of the Constanta Casino’s life that could beat the box office record. It has known glory and decay for many times, it knows what it is like to be wealthy, but also dirt poor. Its problems have started ever since it was in the design phase and are still going on. It is a unique building in the world and could be a goldmine for authorities.

During World War I, the Casino was destroyed by a bomb and was rehabilitated despite the economic problems

I was saying that the history of the Casino repeats itself. During World War I, the most beautiful building of the city by the sea was a field hospital. The Casino was destroyed after a bomb had fallen on it. It was hardly rebuilt because it was thought that repairing the Casino would be a frivolous thing in the situation in which hospitals, schools and other buildings had to be repaired with public funds. Even now the economic situation is not too good, but the rehabilitation of the building is a priority, since it is a historic monument with a unique architecture in the world.

The Casino, the only building in the world with three foundations

As early as the design phase, the Casino has faced problems. It is the only building in the world that has three foundations, so it cannot be eclipsed by any other building from this point of view. It was raised on a headland drawn from the sea. The first foundation was designed by architect Daniel Renard. Then, Daniel Renard left with the liberals from the city’s leadership, and the conservatives came. Mayor Ion Bănescu chose architect Petre Antonescu to continue the work. He had another vision, another national style project, and made a second set of foundations to put his work into practice. Petre Antonescu is the author of the Sinaia Casino, which is also very beautiful. The mandate was over, the elections came, the conservatives left, and the liberals came back in charge. Daniel Renard was called upon to continue his work, and when he saw that his project had been changed, he said: “My foundations have been damaged!” So, a third row of foundations were made. This is one of the things that individualizes the Casino.

The Constanta Casino is built on a patch of land drawn from the sea

The Casino is original and unique in the world because it is built on a patch of land drawn from the sea before 1910. Thus, no other building can compete, from this point of view, with the gem of Constanta. Prior to the start of the works, the city used to end high up, where there is Queen Elizabeth Boulevard now, and where the boardwalk and the Casino are currently, it was the sea. The promenade on the seashore where we walk fondly, inhabitants and tourists alike, was a grand project designed by the prefect of those times, Scarlat Vârnav. Anghel Saligny was the one who had the courage to deliver it since 1903. Back then, Saligny coordinated the construction works of the Port of Constanta. In order to make the boardwalk outside the Casino, both his genius and the experience of the port engineers, as well as the equipment that had been brought from the port on this occasion were necessary.

The Casino was not an appreciated building, and architect Renard was permanently offended

Architect Daniel Renard was given many invectives. The Casino was made either profiterole, or a hearse. An entire denigration campaign was carried out. It was a building too modern for the people of those times. It was 1903, and Art Nouveau appeared in Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. This project synchronized with what was the newest in Europe at that time. This novelty came in a city where there were elements that felt we should get back to our national architecture and not to things related to this modernist language.

Even after the opening of the Casino, the building was accompanied by tons of invectives. Certainly, the situation would have been much easier for architect Daniel Renard, had he known that a century later, everyone would appreciate that his work was the most beautiful building of Constanta.

The Casino was the place where the high society went to balls, gambling or plays

At the beginning of the last century, balls were the main means of entertainment for inhabitants and tourists. At the Casino, people used to dance, socialize, meet or plan getting married, people from different social categories got to know each other. Theatre plays were also performed there. There was a large hall for theatre plays, despite the poor acoustics everyone was complaining about. In support of Daniel Renard came Victor Ştefănescu, an important architect whose father founded the Bucharest Opera and knew exactly what to do. However, acoustics could not be bettered, because it was, however, a casino.

The Casino used to have multiple functions and at various times

It could also be a meeting place for inhabitants and tourists, and a place for shows, balls or conferences, but at the same time it kept its function as a casino, having its halls intended for gambling.

Over the years, in the Constanta Casino, there were elite restaurants, confectioneries and bars. An example of this is given in Cezar Petrescu’s novel “Darkness”, which starts with a table that was taken at the Constanta Casino, where the waiters came from the Athénée Palace. It was a place where the reputable names of the age flaunted themselves, clothes and jewels were displayed, a space of mundanity as well as bohemian life. These two coordinates should the Casino follow again and it would perform its functions on behalf of which it was designed and raised on the seashore.

Currently, the Casino is in advanced deterioration state. It is going to be rehabilitated and the authorities will decide what functions the edifice will have, and whether some of them are to be profitable.

May 3, 2019
Carol I, the Mosque from Constanta built at the request of the king

I am from Constanța, I’ve past the Mosque Carol I hundreds of times, but I never knew I am allowed to enter and visit. I have climbed the minaret only last year, but I always thought that the inside of the building is reserved only for the men of Turkish and Tatar origin. I’ve heard many times, from different persons, that the women are not allowed to enter and I’ve never insisted. I thought the Muslim women are not allowed to enter either in the Islamic worship place. Wrong again, the ladies can recoil there without any problem, but during the service they must retreat to the balcony. The reasons are obvious, in the Mosque, praying implies bending staying on the knees, bending over and touching the floor with the forehead and in such a position women would represent a temptation for the men praying.

The Mosque built at the request of the king Carol I

The story of this Islamic worship place from Constanța is 105 years old. The Mosque Carol I was built at the request of the king who’s name it bears, as a tribute to the Muslim Community from Constanța, very numerous at that time. More than that, at the inauguration of the worship place, in 1903, the Royal family also took part together with the representatives of the Islamic cult from Romania. Practically, this is the only Mosque that bears a non-Muslim name. The believers call it “Kral camisi” or “the Mosque of the King”.

A beautiful building, with an imposing dome

The architecture of the worship place is spectacular. The praying room has a height of 14 meters and the dome a height of 25 meters and is beautifully decorated. This place is part of the historical-cultural and museum patrimony of Romania and is in desperate need to be rehabilitated. The interior is extremely simple arranged, by comparison with the ones of the Christian churches and it comprises only inscriptions from the Quran. The Moor style building, the dome, the vaults and the minaret are entirely made of concrete, this being the first building for which this material was used.

A big rug for a little building

I knew that inside the Carol I there is a very old and beautiful rug. When I entered, I saw that the rug is mostly rolled than displayed and I asked why is it staying this way. I was told that the tower of the altar, by the way it is placed, doesn’t allow the total display of the rug, so it can always be found rolled. The rug has actual historical value. It was given by the sultan Abdul Hamid (1876-1909) to the Mosque situated on the Ada-Kaleh island, before this Mosque had been covered by waters as a result of building the Hydropower from the Iron Gates. The dimension of the rug is 126 meters and it weights 490 kilos. It was realized by the Craft Center Hereke from Turkey.

The minaret, a touristic attraction

There are not few tourists that have the guts to climb the 140 narrow steps, spirally arranged, which lead to the minaret. While taking a resting brake, the visitors can notice that the walls of the tower are scorched and in need of rehabilitation. From the circular balcony, from where the muezzin calls the Muslims to pray, the ones that managed to climb all the stairs can see the sea and have a wider perspective over the old center of Constanța. Also, the wonderful dome, on top of which resides, proud, the half-moon, the symbol of Islam, can be observed closer.

The prophet Muhammed, the religion of peace and love

I’ve said it many times and I still support that we should never see as the same the Muslims with the religious fanatics which support religious fundamentalism and the globalization of terror, with the ones that commit numerous attacks all over the world. The Quran, the sacred book of the Muslims talks about a religion of peace. At the entrance of the Carol I Mosque, people can read the Farewell Sermon of the prophet Muhammed, which preaches peace, love, justice and understanding.

“O people, you have a right over your wives and they have a right over you. Treat women well, for they you have taken them only as a trust from God, and you have made the enjoyment of their persons lawful by the word of God, so understand and listen to my words, O people.”

”All people come from Adam and Eve, an Arab is not superior to a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not superior to an Arab, just as no white person is superior to a black one and no black person is superior to a white one, except in godliness and in doing good deeds. All Muslims are brothers. Don’t be unjust with yourselves!”

“Do not offend and do not hurt anybody, so that nobody would offend or hurt you. Remember that you will truly return to the face of God you will be asked about your deeds.”

If you ever find yourselves in the Peninsular area of Constanța, don’t forget to visit this Islamic worship place – The Carol I Mosque. It is a very beautiful building, a historical one. More over, in an area of a couple of hundred meters there are other 7 churches for different cults, reason for which the area has been named “the Confessional Octagon”.

April 12, 2019