The statue of Decebalus (in Romanian: Chipul lui Decebal) is a colossal sculpture 55 meters high depicting, precisely, Decebalus, king of the Dacians from 87 to 106 AD, at the Iron Gates, natural gorges of the Danube, near the city of Orșova, Romania.
Its construction was proposed, and largely financed, by Joseph Constantine Dragan. Work began in 1994 and lasted ten years, ending in 2004, for a total cost of over $1 million.
It is currently the tallest sculpture carved from a rock in the whole of Europe.
Under the face of Decebalus is engraved the following inscription in Latin:
"DECEBALUS REX – DRAGAN FECIT" ("DECEBALUS REX – DRAGAN FECIT IT BUILT")" )
On the other bank of the Danube, in the territory belonging to Serbia, is the Tabula Traiana, built to commemorate the victories of the Roman army that led to the conquest of Dacia.
