The Jdioarei Fortress

Considered the largest fortification of the Bronze Age in Europe, the Cornesti earthen fortification, also known as the Iarcuri or Turkish Hills, is located about 20 km north of Timisoara and occupies an area of ​​over 1700 ha. Drawing the attention of military topographers in 1720, the fortification was first researched by Ioachim Miloia in 1932 and then by Marius Moga in 1939. In the autumn of 2007, the research was resumed by a team of archeologists from Romania and Germany, led by Alexandru Szentmiklósi, the head of the Banat Museum's archeology department. At present, researchers from Austria and the United States also participate in the research. Unique in Europe's prehistory, the fortress was dated 1500-1000 BC, being built by the Cruceni-Belegiš communities. It consists of four concentric circles representing the walls of the settlement, being raised by means of wooden pillars, to which ground has been added. Inside the fortification there were discovered: an access gate provided with towers of defense 4 meters high, ruins of an ancient temple, Sarmatian tombs, ceramic manufactories and a settlement dating from the third or fourth century. It is believed that the Corneşti-Iarcuri fortress belonged to a population of farmers and livestock breeders who controlled the main access routes to various areas rich in raw materials (salt in Transylvania, gold in the Apuseni Mountains, copper in the Banat Mountains). From a strategic point of view, the fortification is halfway between the Timiş and Mureş river basins, the main access road to Transylvania. It is not excluded that this fortification is also a construction with a prestigious role for the warriors of the end of the Bronze Age in the north of Banat. The authorities intend to open a museum in the village to highlight the discoveries made in the area. Specialists are now preparing the necessary documentation to inscribe the fortification on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Information and photo sources: http://www.culturatimis.ro/, https://www.facebook.com/MuzeulBanatuluiTimisoaraOficial/

The Maria Theresa Bastion is a part of the old fortress of Timișoara, which has survived until today, along with other wall fragments such as the ones in the Botanical Park and on Alexandru Ioan Cuza Avenue. The Bastion was built between 1730 and 1735, and was originally called the Storage Ravelin. Its name changed to Maria Theresa around 1744 to 1745, thus paying a tribute to the Empress. The Maria Theresa Bastion was intended for food storage. Alongside it, 8 more bastions functioned in the Fortress: Charles, Francis, Joseph, Hamilton, the Castle, Mercy, Eugene, and Elisabeth. In 1716, following the conquest of Timișoara by the Habsburg troops, the Fortress of Timișoara was entirely rebuilt in Vauban style, between the years 1723 and 1765, increasing its surface 10 times. Three star-shaped belts surrounded the inner city, and the access was done through 3 gates: Vienna, Petrovaradin and Transylvania. During the project entitled "Rehabilitation and revitalization of the fortress of the Timişoara Citadel, the Maria Theresa Bastion", financed by PHARE 2005, the Maria Theresa Bastion was rearranged, and reopened to the public in 2010. Currently, the Maria Theresa Bastion hosts two permanent exhibitions of the Museum of History of Banat: "Information and Communications Technology" and "The Violin – A Passion for Life". The Bastion is also used as a passage, which is where commercial spaces, restaurants, bars, a club and a reception hall are also hosted. Text source: https://timisoara.eventya.eu/