
Iron Gates - Cazane	The Iron Gates

The Iron Gates

The Iron Gates: it is the name of the sector that is enclosed between Orsova and Drobeta Turnu Severin, it spreads on a few km on the gorge. Before the construction of the dam, this sector was very dangerous for the ships that passed through here, with many immerse rocks, whirlpools and dam stones. The crossing of this gorge took 120 hours and it would be done only during the day.

The system was built in cooperation with the former Yugoslavia Republic (1964 – 1971). By building this dam, a reservoir lake was created in its back that has a length of 150 km and a surface of 700 sq km.

Now the ships cross the Danube Gorges in only 30 hours and also by night.

When the reservoir lake was created, many small villages that were on the Danube bank, had to be moved closer to the mountains. The largest town that was moved was Orsova and an island that was in the middle of the Danube was covered by water: Ada Kaleh. The main monuments of the island: the Mosque, the bazaars were moved to Simian island close to Drobeta Turnu Severin. When the waters of the Danube are lower than usual, you can still see the ruins of the island.