Editing Babadag (section)

==History==
[[File:Babadag-19thcentury-BGRod.png|left|thumb|250px|Babadag at the end of the 19th century]]
The name of Babadag is connected with 13th century dervish Baba [[Sari Saltik]], who is said to have led a number of [[Turkoman (ethnonym)|Turkomans]] to Dobruja and to have settled them in this area. The town was first mentioned by [[Ibn Battuta]] under the name '''Baba Saltuk''', as the furthermost outpost of the "Turks" (i.e., the [[Golden Horde]]).<ref>Stănciugel et al., p.44-46</ref>

The town was conquered by [[Bayezid I]], [[list of Ottoman sultans|sultan]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]], in his 1393 Danubian campaign. The construction of a fortress was begun here in 1633 during the reign of [[Murad IV]], but by 1650 only the fortress's foundation walls and towers were standing. In the 17th century, it occasionally served as the winter headquarters for the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire during their wars with [[Russia]].{{sfnp|''EB''|1878}} The town's location near to the [[Black Sea]] made it a target for the Russian navy, the town was bombed by the Russians in 1854 during the [[Crimean War]].{{sfnp|''EB''|1878}} In the mid-19th century, Babadag formed part of the [[sanjak|region]] (''sanjak'') of [[Sanjak of Silistra|Silistra]] within the "Bulgarian Government" ([[Danube Vilayet]]).{{sfnp|''EB''|1878}} Following the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|1877–1878 war]] between the Ottoman and Russian empires, Babadag became part of independent Romania.

===Military training facility===
At Babadag, the [[Romanian Land Forces|Romanian Army]] operates a [[Military training area|military training facility]]. With a total surface area of {{convert|2700|ha|km2 sqmi|abbr=on}}, the area can accommodate live-fire exercises for infantry and tanks at company level as well as artillery subunits.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://romanialibera.ro/special/poligoane-de-mii-de-hectare-pentru-bazele-sua-21191/|title=Poligoane de mii de hectare pentru bazele SUA|language=ro|work=[[România liberă]]|date=12 August 2005}}</ref> In 2008, [[United States Army]] forces started to train at Babadag as part of [[Romania in NATO|Romania's integration into NATO]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediafaxfoto.ro/preview.php?id=3011141 |title=Romania–US Army Training|access-date=2008-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718020844/http://www.mediafaxfoto.ro/preview.php?id=3011141 |archive-date=2008-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2022, units of the [[101st Airborne Division]] (that has returned to Europe for the first time since the end [[World War II]]) deployed to the [[Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base]] have been training at the Babadag base, near the border with [[Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/actualitate/dupa-78-de-ani-divizia-istorica-101-aeropurtata-a-armatei-sua-a-revenit-in-europa-cum-se-antreneaza-in-romania.html|title=După 78 de ani, Divizia istorică 101 Aeropurtată a Armatei SUA a revenit în Europa. Cum se antrenează în România|first1=Adrian|last1=Crăciunoiu|first2=Ovidiu|last2=Oanță|lang=ro|work=[[Pro TV]]|date=October 24, 2022|access-date=October 29, 2022}}</ref> The facility is subordinated to the [[Cincu Training Center]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://presamil.ro/asalt-in-cincu/|title=Asalt în Cincu|language=ro|author=Bogdan Oproiu|website=presamil.ro|date=2024-07-04}}</ref>