It is known locally as Yeni-Sale, meaning 'New Village' in Turkish.
The fortress was constructed using local limestone blocks bound with mortar, a technique typical of the 14th-century Mediterranean military tradition.
It served as a critical customs point for monitoring the grain and salt trade moving through the Razim-Sinoe lagoon complex.
The site was not built by the Ottomans, but was eventually captured and integrated into their defense line against Russian advances.
Because it sits on a high, exposed limestone ridge, the fortress is subject to high wind speeds that have naturally shaped the surrounding vegetation.
Evidence suggests the fortress was used as a shelter for nomadic pastoralists after it was decommissioned as a military stronghold.
The Enisala Fortress is the only medieval fortress in the Dobrogea region of Romania that has survived Ottoman destruction. Strategically positioned on a limestone hill, it overlooks the Razim and Babadag lakes, once serving as a military, administrative, and trade surveillance post. Construction began in the 14th century, likely under the Genoese, who controlled maritime trade in the Black Sea. The structure reflects a transition between Byzantine, Genoese, and Ottoman defensive architectural styles. Its thick stone walls enclose an irregular trapezoidal plan with flanking towers designed for artillery defense. The site was abandoned in the 16th century after the Ottoman Empire expanded its borders, reducing the fortress's strategic significance. Archaeological excavations have recovered extensive medieval pottery and coins that indicate the fort was a key link in the local economy. Today, the ruins represent the northernmost point of the defensive system once controlled by the Wallachian and Moldavian princes. The location offers an unobstructed view of the Danube Delta's southern lagoons.
The highest point of the southern defensive wall, offering a wide-angle perspective of the Razim Lake and the surrounding wetlands.
Wear sturdy, closed-toe hiking shoes as the path to the fortress is unpaved, steep, and covered in loose limestone gravel.
Bring a windbreaker even in summer; the hilltop location is significantly windier and more exposed than the surrounding village.
Carry plenty of water as there are no amenities for purchase once you begin the ascent from the base.
Do not attempt to climb or walk along the top of the ruins; the stones are unstable and preserved for archaeological integrity rather than visitor access.
Open daily, though the site may be inaccessible during extreme winter weather or heavy rainfall due to muddy, slippery approach paths.
