Encounter the Romanian Dacians at Sarmizegetuza Regia

For some people, history and the formation of one country are very important. The Romanians have the Dacians as their ancestors, and there are a few locations where the Dacian culture is still visible. One can encounter the Romanian Dacians at Sarmizegetuza Regia, the old capital of the Dacians, situated in the heart of Romania. 

Sarmizegetuza Regia

Orastioara de Sus, Romania

Described as one of the oldest and most mysterious historical attractions in Romania,  Sarmizegetusa Regia is surrounded by a dense forest of the Carpathian Mountains at an altitude of 1200 meters. Here, one can not only find the fortification of the Dacians but also the greatest Dacians site and discover the testimony of a flourishing ancient city. The few left ruins are the remains of the buildings from the 1st century and are surrounded by the fragments of the fortification walls, that are about three meters thick.

Sarmizegetuza Regia was the capital of the Dacians before the Roman conquest in the 2nd century, so about 2000 years ago. It is one of the six fortifications that is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was built under Burebista, an important Dacian ruler and was the capital until the Romans conquered the Dacians. The last Dacian ruler, under which this capital flourished, was Decebal.

Why is it considered a place of mystery? At Sarmizegetuza Regia, there are the ruins of seven temples, five rectangular and two circular ones. But there is also another building left in ruins, and this is the altar for sacrifices, and according to some experts, this is the reason why people find it so mysterious. Some people even describe this site as the Romanian Stonehenge. But there are more reasons for the mystery behind this old capital.  

The Roman conquest

The mystery about this place is also due to the lack of information found about the location. For example, there are just a few historical documents describing the Dacians being conquered by the Romans. And an important one is located in Rome – The Column of Traian. Although the historians are still debating about the authenticity of the events described, the column represents the scenes of the conquest of the capital by the Romans.

The religion

Some mystery is also added by the Dacians religion. It is believed that the Dacians only believed in one God - Zamolxis. But there is also no information about this God, which adds some enigma to the old Dacian religion practiced in the capital - Sarmizegetuza Regia.

The landscape

Not only can one be amazed by the ruins at Sarmizegetuza Regia; but there is one more thing that is breath-taking - its landscape. The hiking lovers should definitely plan at least one afternoon in the Oraștie Mountains, as it is my favorite place for hiking.

There are some places in Romania, where one can almost transport themselves into the past, and Sarmizegetuza Regia is surely one of them. If one would like to encounter the Romanian Dacians, they should add this breath-taking place to their bucket list.