Motor Tour in Bucharest, the Capital of Romania

Vlad the Impaler's city

The capital of Romania, which we call Bucharest, is called București by Romanians in Romanian. This historic city in the middle of the Romanian Plain is built on the banks of the Dambovita River, a tributary of the Danube. Today its population is around 2.5 million. 

Bucharest is the center of Romanian media, culture and art. The city's architecture is a mix of historic communist and modern periods. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture earned Bucharest the title of "Paris of the East". 

The buildings and districts in the center of this historic city have been badly damaged or destroyed by war and earthquakes, but many have been restored and remain today. 

The Paris of the East is so worn out

In recent years this city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom. Bucharest is one of the fastest growing high-tech cities in Europe. According to my information, the number of tourists staying overnight in this city is the highest among European cities. According to another study, it has been the European city with the highest development potential in recent years. According to another study, Bucharest will become the richest city in Europe by 2050. Bucharest is the most modern city in Romania with a developed economy. The city has numerous congress facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional shopping arcades and recreational areas.

Bucharest has a cosmopolitan population and many ethnicities. The city is full of fun, which means 'city of joy' in Romanian. While visiting the center of the city, I came across archaeological remains indicating that it was a very old settlement. Lipscani street is also known as the old center of the city. Baroque architecture is very common in the city. 

The name Bucharest was first mentioned in written documents dating back to 1459. There are also rumors that the city was founded by Count Dracula.

Ottoman Period, Ottoman Traces

We are told that Vlad the Impaler built Bucharest Castle to protect the Wallachian state and especially Tirgovishte, the capital at the time, against the Ottomans. Many other places were fortified afterwards. The Turks called Vlad Tepeş Vlad the Impaler, especially because he impaled the Muslims he captured and killed them in torment. Vlad the Impaler, also known as Count Dracula, was the subject of many Hollywood movies. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan organized a great campaign on Wallachia in 1462 upon these massacres. As a result of this one-month-long campaign, Wallachia became an Ottoman province. Thus, Bucharest, which came under Ottoman rule, developed rapidly and became the main economic center of Wallachia. 

Some street names such as Kürkçüler Street and Ifciler Street still exist in the city today. While visiting these places, one gets the feeling of traveling through history again. Let's tell a little more about the history of the city. Starting from the 18th century, instead of local princes, rulers selected from the Greek Fenerli in Istanbul were sent to Bucharest. In 1821, an uprising led by Tudor Vladimirescu put an end to the rule of Fener. After the uprising in 1859, Wallachia and Taurus were united. 

Ceausescu razed the city to the ground

In 1862, Bucharest was declared the capital of Romania. At the end of the Ottoman-Russian War of 1877-1878, Romania completely separated from the Ottoman Empire. After the establishment of communism in Romania, the city continued to grow. You can see this diversified development as you travel around the city. New counties were also built during that period. During the years of Nicolae Ceausescu's rule (1965-1989), most of the historical parts of the city were demolished. The city lost its splendor and light. Bulldozers ran over the once fairytale-like beauty of the city. It is said that some 9 thousand historical buildings were demolished. Concrete blocks have been erected in their place. In the meantime, the beautiful works of Ottoman architecture have also been lost to history. 

The city is being rebuilt in its original form

After 2000, an urban renewal project was initiated in Bucharest and is still ongoing. There are important higher education institutions in Bucharest, as well as many research centers and colleges of science and arts. We learned that there are many students from Turkey studying in these schools, and we met a few of them. 

You can see metro and public transportation everywhere in the city. Trams are still in use from the old Communist regime. In short, Bucharest is a beautiful city. It is a different settlement where you can find every kind of activity you are looking for, worth seeing. By the way, I must mention that Nikolai Ceausescu's palace is one of the places to see.

Stay with respectful love