Constanța: ancient Tomis where Ovid lived in exile

Founded by Greek colonists as Tomis, Constanța was the exile home of the Roman poet Ovid and remains today Romania's main Black Sea port.

The center, ancient Tomis where Ovid lived in exile, is comfortably explored on foot.

The Constanța Casino, an Art Nouveau masterpiece now in ruins and overlooking the sea, remains the most photographed building in the city despite its state of abandonment.

Just steps away, the National History and Archaeology Museum displays artifacts from ancient Tomis, including Roman mosaics among the largest in Eastern Europe.

Continuing along the waterfront, one visits the Carol I Mosque, built for the city's Muslim Tatar and Turkish minority, unusual in a predominantly Orthodox nation.

Toward evening, Constanța's waterfront animates with fish restaurants with views of the Black Sea.

The Roman poet Ovid was exiled to Tomis, modern-day Constanța, by Emperor Augustus in 8 AD for reasons that remain unclear, where he spent the final years of his life far from Rome.

The Constanța Casino, built in 1910 as a symbol of Romanian Belle Époque grandeur, has remained closed and in ruins for decades despite numerous restoration projects never fully completed.