The Mihai Eminescu National College (Colegiul Național Mihai Eminescu) is a historic school in the old center of Constanța, housed in a Neo-Romanian building constructed between 1906 and 1908.
Designed by architect George Mandrea, the school was built on the site of the former Ottoman konak, which became the first prefecture of Constanța County after 1878 and was destroyed by fire in 1883. The present educational institution was founded in 1919 as the Domnița Ileana Girls’ Secondary School and moved into the building in 1931. Its name and educational profile changed several times during the 20th century before it became Mihai Eminescu National College.
The site also preserves a much older layer of Constanța’s history. During construction work in 1962, remains of an early Christian basilica were discovered beneath the building and its courtyard. The surviving remains include part of the basilica wall, sections of pavement and a vaulted crypt divided into three chambers, with traces of polychrome fresco painting still preserved inside.
