Sulina

During the mid-Byzantine period Sulina was a small cove and in the 14th century a Genoese port inhabited by a handful of sailors, pirates and fishermen. In 18th century the Ottomans built a lighthouse there in order to accommodate communication between Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Danubian Principalities, the main breadbaskets for the Ottoman capital.

Thanks to the signing of the Treaty of Adrianoupolis (Edirne), September 2, 1829, that unfettered the Danube grain trade, Sulina, by then under Russian control, became important. Great sailing boats could not sail fully loaded to Brăila and Galaţi, which were the main export centres of Wallachia and Moldavia, because of the shallow waters of the river; therefore, they had to tranship at least part of their cargoes to smaller riverboats (shleps). The owners and crew of these sleps were almost always Greek.

Even greater development, however, would occur after the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1856), which ended the Crimean War. One of the treaty’s terms determined the establishment of a certain committee, the Danube European Committee(C.E.D.), which would conduct infrastructure works on the mouth of the river in order to make it floatable for larger ships as well. The technical works allowed entrance to the Danube for a great number of “foreign”, i.e. non-Greek ships, leading to a higher level of competition. River faring, however, largely remained in Greek hands. Moreover, the declaration by the Ottoman administration of Sulina as a free port in 1870 also boosted its development.

The Russo-Ottoman war of 1877-1878 led to many changes as well. The city was initially put under Russian control and after the signing of the Berlin Treaty was annexed to Romania, as was the whole Dobrudja area

Wikipedia

Foggy early morning in Mila 23...

Mila 23 is a village in the north of Tulcea county, in the Danube Delta, 53 km away from Tulcea, located on the Dunarea Veche channel which is branching to the left from the arm leading to Sulina, at about half the distance between Tulcea and the Black Sea. It can be accessed only by water. 
The name of the Mila 23 village is given by the nautical mile allotted to the area, as a marking sign of the distance on the old Sulina arm. 
Mila 23, a typical fishermen village, is the only Lipovan settlement in the delta from the end of the 19th century, which despite the numerous floodings (from those times with no floodwall to protect the village), succeeded in preserving its archaic charm, and continues to present an authentic image of the picturesqueness specific to fishermen villages and to a lifestyle that has survived unchanged throughout centuries. 
Located at the heart of the delta, Mila 23 is surrounded by a manifold of charming landscapes, such as Lideanca, Radacinos, Trei iezere, Bodaproste, Matita, Babina, Nebunu and Fortuna lakes or Sontea, Eracle, Lopatna and Olguta channels, home for thousands of pelicans, swans or aigrettes. 
At the same time, the Mila 23 village is renowned as the most important attraction of the Danube Delta for those passionate about sport fishing. Mila 23 is deemed to be the centre of the triangle formed by the three arms of the Danube and one of the most important starting posts of the routes traversing one of the most picturesque areas of the delta.
http://www.dunareaveche.ro/