Soul journeys through memories. (6) Along Danube. "Danube Gorge/Defileul Dunării".

Soul journeys through memories. (6) 

  Along Danube.
From Orsova to Dubova.

 Clisura Dunării. Viaductul Mraconia. Chipul lui Decebal.
Photo Instants from archive.

       
           In the trip from last year (along of the blue shore of the river from Orsova into Clisura Dunarii), I have  just saw a tiny part, but I can say that, to me, it was a pretty significant part of the river;  this part is situated at Dubova, in the Small Kazan gorge in Iron Gates Park and where it stands the highest carved statue from Europe.

          It is said according to the Wikipedia that "The rock sculpture of Decebalus" is a work of a 42.9 m in height and 31.6 m in width. I looked at this monument with lots of attention and I was careful to take some photos just in order to remember that occasion. 

          Danube has a certain way to express itself, like a feeling, emotion to share with the tourists, with the travellers. A feeling that it can embrace you and make you to become charmed by its beauty through the waters observed  among mountains, among gorges, green high shapes of relief along the deep blue waters.

         Perhaps it is a "mirage", perhaps it is all about the stunning history of its course from Black Forrest to the Black Sea. As I could read and, even  briefly documented, it is mentioned on the internet, that the river, Danube is "Classified as an international waterway, that it originates in the town of Donaueschingen—which is in the Black Forest of Germany—at the confluence of the rivers Brigach and Breg. The Danube then flows southeast for 1,914 km (1,189 mi), passing through four capital cities before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine."

Isn't that stunning? also, "the river passes through or touches the borders of 10 countries: Romania (29.0% of basin area), Hungary (11.6%), Serbia (10.2%), Austria (10.0%), Germany (7.0%), Bulgaria (5.9%), Slovakia (5.9%), Croatia (4.4%), Ukraine (3.8%), and Moldova (1.6%)".

So...it is a long waterway from Black Forest to Black Sea...

           And now, through my camera lens, through my photography, I can remember this small, small part of Danube and how amazingly it looked in the september of the last year, while I had a short travel from Herculane situated in Banat, in Caraş-Severin County to Orșova and then to Iron Gates, near the Small Kazan gorge at Dubova.

          For sure, I'll show you, also, in the next posts, the Danube at the narrowest point of the Iron Gates, seen from the Serbian side on the way to Golubac Fortress in Đerdapska klisura. 

          Anyway, travelling along Danube it is a delight to eyes and a thrill for soul. In this world, for sure, there are lots and lots of beautiful natural wonders; millions of things more and more amazingly interesting. But I'm glad that I've seen, like I already told, one small, but significant part of the river, of this river; I'm glad that I've seen a part of its blue course... I'm so glad and just because that it means it is going to always have a special place into my heart.

Arhiva foto privată/ Private photos archive.

Click to see enlarged views.

Series of photo instants, 

up-close & collages in color and/or black & white. 

Visions. September, 2015. Autumn. Along Danube.
Soul journeys through memories. (6)
 Amintiri din virtualul arhivat. 
Clisura Dunării. 
Viaductul Mraconia.
 Chipul lui Decebal
 From Orsova to Dubova. Mehedinti County.

2016©AlexaT

GândCălător.blogspot.com

From Did You Know Category:

Extrase/Excerpts About Danube
From around the web/media*

VALURILE DUNĂRII* de Iosif Ivanovici. 

Danube waves* of Joseph Ivanovich.

*Sursa/source of video below: Internet/ You Tube.

"Ion Ivanovici* (alternatively: Jovan Ivanović, Iosif Ivanovici, Josef Ivanovich) (1845 – 28 September [O.S. 16 September] 1902) was a Romanian military band leader and composer of Banat Serbian origin, best remembered today for his waltz Waves of the Danube.

Ivanovici was born in Timișoara, Austrian Empire. His interest in music began after he learned to play a flute given to him when he was a child. Later, he enrolled in the 6th Army Regiment, where he also learned to play the clarinet. His talent for music soon led him to become among the best musicians in the regiment, and he continued to study with Emil Lehr, one of the most prominent musicians of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Ivanovici later became a bandmaster, and toured Romania. In 1900, he was appointed the Inspector of Military Music, a position that he held until his death next year."

"Iosif Ivanovici*, cunoscut și ca Ion sau Ivan Ivanovici (n. Jovan Ivanović în 1845, Timișoara – d. 16/28 septembrie 1902, București) a fost un clarinetist, dirijor și compozitor român de muzici militare și muzică ușoară. Creația lui cuprinde în majoritate dansuri (vals, cadril, polcă) și marșuri. Cea mai cunoscută compoziție a sa este valsul „Valurile Dunării”."

About Danube Day*
"Danube Day is celebrated on June 29, the signing date of the Danube River Protection Convention, throughout the Danube river basin, to pay tribute to the vital role the Danube and its tributaries play in people’s lives: providing water, food, power, transport, recreation and prosperity; while drawing attention to the importance of conservation. Danube Day was first held in 2004."

"The Iron Gates *(Romanian: Porțile de Fier, Serbian: Đerdapska klisura, Hungarian: Vaskapu-szoros, German: Eisernes Tor, Turkish: Demirkapı) is a gorge on the River Danube. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia and Romania. In the broad sense it encompasses a route of 134 km (83 mi); in the narrow sense it only encompasses the last barrier on this route, just beyond the Romanian city of Orșova, that contains two hydroelectric dams, with two power stations, Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station and Iron Gate II Hydroelectric Power Station.
The gorge lies between Romania to the north and Serbia to the south. At this point, the river separates the southern Carpathian Mountains from the northwestern foothills of the Balkan Mountains. The Romanian side of the gorge constitutes the Iron Gates natural park, whereas the Serbian part constitutes the Đerdap national park."

Names

In English, the gorge is known as Iron Gates or Iron Gate. An 1853 article about the Danube in The Times of London referred to it as "the Iron Gate, or the Gate of Trajan."

In languages of the region including Romanian, Hungarian, Slovak, Turkish, German and Bulgarian, names literally meaning "Iron Gates" are used to name the entire range of gorges. These names are Romanian: Porțile de Fier (pronounced [ˈport͡sile de ˈfjer]), Hungarian: Vaskapu, Slovak: Železné vráta; Turkish: Demirkapı, German: Eisernes Tor, and Bulgarian: Железни врата (Železni vrata). An alternative Romanian name for the last part of the route is Defileul Dunării, literally "Danube Gorge".

In Serbian, the gorge is known as Đerdap (Ђердап; [d͡ʑě̞rdaːp]), with the last part named Đerdapska klisura (Ђердапска клисура; [d͡ʑě̞rdaːpskaː klǐsura]) from the Byzantine Greek Κλεισούρα (kleisoura), "enclosure" or "pass."
"Defileul Dunării*, also locally known as Clisura Dunării (Serbian: Банатска Клисура, Banatska Klisura) is a geographical region in Romania. It is located in southern Banat, along the northern bank of the river Danube. Clisura Dunării is situated between river Nera in the west, and Gura Văii or Cazanele Dunării in the east.
The area includes the municipality of Orşova and the town of Moldova Nouă, as well as several communes (Socol, Pojejena, Coronini, Gârnic, Sicheviţa, Berzasca, Sviniţa, Dubova, Eşelniţa, Iloviţa, and Brezniţa-Ocol)."

Name

"The Romanian name is Defileul Dunării. River Danube is called Dunărea in Romanian. The sometimes used local name clisura derives from Serbian; Klisura means "pass", "gorge", "gate" and "sharp rock" in Serbian. It is derived from the Greek kleisoura, which in turn derives from the Latin clausura, meaning "closed entity", ide est "monastery, castle, fort". The term was applied by the Byzantines to fortified mountain districts controlling important passes."
"Dubova *(Hungarian and Czech: Dubova) is a commune located in Mehedinţi County, Romania. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat. The commune is composed of three villages: Baia Nouă, Dubova and Eibenthal."
 *Source of info/video above; excerpts/info about Danube,

 Iron Gates from Wikipedia

"Cazanele Dunării *și masivele Ciucarul Mare / Ciucarul Mic fac parte din Parcul Natural Porțile de Fier. Aproape de golful Mraconia, se poate observa, săpat in stâncă, chipul lui Decebal, statuia lui Decebal având dimensiunile 55 m - inălțime și 25 m - lățime."

"Chipul regelui dac Decebal* este un basorelief înalt de 55 m, aflat pe malul stâncos al Dunării, între localitățile Eșelnița și Dubova, în apropiere de orașul Orșova, România. Basorelieful îl reprezintă pe Decebal, ultimul rege al Daciei, și este sculptat într-o stâncă. Este cea mai înaltă sculptură în piatră din Europa. Omul de afaceri și istoricul protocronist Iosif Constantin Drăgan a fost cel care a promovat și finanțat ideea acestei lucrări efectuate în perioada 1994 - 2004."
Dimensiuni
"Chipul lui Decebal (...)
Locul realizării sculpturii este în apropiere de orașul Orșova, în zona cataractelor de la Cazanele Mici (golful Mraconia), pe malul stâng al Dunării, acolo unde adâncimea fluviului este cea mai mare: 120 de metri.
Câteva dimensiuni fizionomice ale chipului sunt:
lungimea ochilor: 4,3 metri
lungimea nasului: 7 metri
lățimea nasului: 4 metri."
„DECEBAL REX - DRAGAN FECIT” ("Regele Decebal - făcută de Drăgan")

"The rock sculpture of Decebalus* is a 42.9 m in height and 31.6 m in width carving in rock of the face of Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania. The sculpture was made between 1994 and 2004, on a rocky outcrop on the river Danube, at the Iron Gates, which form the border between Romania and Serbia. It is located near the city of Orșova in Romania.
It is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe.
Creation
It was commissioned by Romanian businessman Iosif Constantin Drăgan and it took 10 years, from 1994 to 2004, for twelve sculptors to finish it. According to Drăgan's website, the businessman purchased the rock in 1993, after which the Italian sculptor Mario Galeotti assessed the location and made an initial model. The first six years involved dynamiting the rock into the basic shape, and the remaining four years were devoted to completing the detail.

Under the face of Decebalus there is a Latin inscription which reads "DECEBALUS REX—DRAGAN FECIT" ("King Decebalus—Made by Drăgan")."

*Source of info/video above; excerpts/info about Danube,

 Iron Gates from Wikipedia

 "Manastirea Mraconia * se afla in comuna Duhova din judetul Mehedinti, la o distanta de 15 kilometri vest fata de orasul Orsova. Mai concret, aceasta se afla pe malul stang al Dunarii, care formeaza in acel loc, cel mai frumos defileu de pe tot intinsul ei, defileu intins intre Orsova si Moldova Noua.

Manastirea Mraconia a fost ridicata pe locul unui fost punct de observatie si dirijare a vaselor de pe Dunare, caci datorita arhitecturii reliefului, prin ingustimea din loc in loc a defileului nu putea avea loc trecerea simultana a doua vase. Aceste ingustari si largiri maxime ale fluviului au primit numele de "cazanele Dunarii", dupa parerea multora, locul fiind cel mai frumos loc din tara."
Manastirea Mraconia - scurt istoric

Manastirea Mraconia a cunoscut toate vitregiile istoriei, incepand de la pustiirea navalitorilor, plata peschesului, stapaniri straine si pana la a fi inghitita de apa.

Actuala manastire este ridicata pe locul fostei manastiri Mraconia, ridicata in valea cu acelasi nume. Manastirea initiala a fost ridicata in anul 1523 sub jurisdictia Episcopiei de la Varset de catre dregatorul regiunii de granita a Caransebesului si Lugojului, banul Nicola Garlisteanu. Biserica a primit hramul Sfantului Prooroc Ilie.
Construirea hidrocentralei de la Portile de Fier I realizata in anul 1967 a facut ca asezamantul sa fie demolat, ruinele sale fiind inundate de apele Dunarii. Manastirea nu a mai primit dreptul de a fi reconstruita in alt loc. Datorita soartei sale, aceasta a ajuns sa fie cunoscuta sub numele "Manastirea de sub ape, Mraconia".


Dupa anul 1989, Mitropolia Olteniei a avut initiativa reinfiintarii Manastirii Mraconia. In anul 1993 se pune piatra de temelie a noii biserici, iar in anul 1995, cu binecuvantarea P.S. Nestor Vornicescu si cu aprobarea Sfantului Sinod, se reinfiinteaza acest asezamant."**Source of info www.crestinortodox.ro.

****

Arhiva foto privată/ Private photos archive.

Click to see enlarged views.

Series of photo instants, 

up-close & collages in color and/or black & white. 

Visions. September, 2015. Autumn.
Along Danube. From Orsova to Dubova. Mehedinti County.

Previous post: Soul journeys through memories. (5) De-a lungul Dunării. Along Danube. 
From Drobeta to Iron Gates. Then  to Orșova near the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.

2016©AlexaT

GândCălător.blogspot.com

*****

Also,  from Did You Know Category:

From around the web/media*
About Geography*

"Classified as an international waterway, it originates in the town of Donaueschingen—which is in the Black Forest of Germany—at the confluence of the rivers Brigach and Breg. The Danube then flows southeast for 1,914 km (1,189 mi), passing through four capital cities before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine.

Source of map (below): Wikipedia; Public Domain, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1665391

Course of the Danube, marked in red

Once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire, the river passes through or touches the borders of 10 countries: Romania (29.0% of basin area), Hungary (11.6%), Serbia (10.2%), Austria (10.0%), Germany (7.0%), Bulgaria (5.9%), Slovakia (5.9%), Croatia (4.4%), Ukraine (3.8%), and Moldova (1.6%). Its drainage basin extends into nine more."

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/
Donaueschingen_Donauquelle_4386.jpg

"Dunărea *este al doilea ca lungime dintre fluviile Europei (după Volga), fiind singurul ce curge de la vest la est. Izvorăşte din Munţii Pădurea Neagră (Germania) sub forma a două râuri numite Brigach şi Breg ce izvorăsc de sub vârful Kandel (1241m) şi se unesc în oraşul Donaueschingen (altitudine: 678 m) în curtea castelului Fürstenberg. Numele german al fluviului este Donau, pronunţat /'do.nau/. Dunărea curge către sud-est, pe o distanţă de 2.858 km, până la Marea Neagră. La vărsarea fluviului în Marea Neagră s-a format Delta Dunării.

Dunărea este un important drum fluvial internaţional, curgând prin 10 ţări (Germania, Austria, Slovacia, Ungaria, Croaţia, Serbia, România, Bulgaria, Republica Moldova, Ucraina) şi are afluenţi din alte şapte ţări. Trece prin patru capitale de stat: Viena, Bratislava, Budapesta şi Belgrad."

Dunărea în România*
"Cursul inferior se desfăşoară pe o distanţă de 1.075 km, între localităţile Baziaş şi Sulina, făcând graniţă cu Serbia (235,5 km), Bulgaria (469,5 km), Republica Moldova (0,6 km) şi Ucraina (53,9 km). Datorită faptului că traversează o multitudine de regiuni naturale, cursul inferior este împărţit în 5 sectoare (Ujvari, 1972):

Defileul carpatic (144 km)
Sectorul sud-pontic (566 km)
Sectorul pontic oriental cu bălţi (195 km)
Sectorul predobrogean (80 km)
Sectorul deltaic (90 km)
Dunărea colectează majoritatea râurilor din România cu excepţia unora din Dobrogea, transportând anual circa 60 de milioane de tone de aluviuni şi 200 de miliarde m³ de apă. De asemenea, prezintă importanţă deosebită pentru: navigaţie, hidroelectricitate, piscicultură, furnizând apă pentru industrie, agricultură, populaţie.

În Lunca Dunării se află multe aşezări printre care 18 oraşe, (Moldova Nouă, Orşova, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Calafat, Corabia, Turnu Măgurele, Zimnicea, Giurgiu, Olteniţa, Călăraşi, Feteşti, Cernavodă, Hârşova, Brăila, Galaţi, Isaccea, Tulcea şi Sulina), fiind traversată de cinci şosele şi trei căi ferate."

"The Iron Gates Natural Park*(Romanian: Parcul Natural Porțile de Fier) is a 115,655-hectare (285,790-acre) natural park located in southwestern Romania. It includes the Romanian part of the Iron Gate of the Danube River, and stretches along the left bank of the river in the counties of Caraș-Severin and Mehedinți. Across the river is the Đerdap national park in Serbia. Parcul Natural Porțile de Fier is the largest natural park in Romania, stretching from Socol in the west, to Drobeta Turnu-Severin in the east."*

* Click to read more info on Wikipedia (excerpts). 
Source of Info/videos, above: Internet/You Tube; 
*****

***

"Write it on your heart
that every day is the best day in the year.
He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day
who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.
Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;
begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit
to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This new day is too dear,
with its hopes and invitations,
to waste a moment on the yesterdays.*"
*Source Internet: 
By Ralph Waldo Emerson in "Collected Poems and Translations".

Happiness starts with yourself.

Source of quotes below: Energy Therapy; Think Positive Words; 
Guidepost of Light; Power of Positivity.

Gladly shared with:

Our World 

Miercurea fără cuvinte alături de Carmen

Viewing Nature with Eileen

Scenic Weekends

Mosaic Mondays Foto Tunes
Travel Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday 

Wednesday Around The World

Nature Notes with Michelle
Little Things Thursday
Friday Greens

Skywatch Friday

Saturday Silhouettes
The Weekend in Black&White

Be joyful, amazing and never give up to smile! 

Stunning things are all over! 

Stay positive, today, tomorrow and always! 

Rămâi pozitiv, astăzi, mâine și întotdeauna!

So, very thankful, each and every day, to be inspired...

All is well...