a town of Moldo-Wallachia, on the north bank of the Kilia mouth of the Danube, 65 miles distant from the Black Sea, and 52 from the town of Galatz. Prior to 1790 it was in the hands of the Turks, but in that year was taken by the Russians, in whose possession it remained till 1856, when it was ceded to the Moldo-Wallachian provinces, under the sovereignty of the Porte. The fortifications were blown up by the Russians in 1856 before evacuating. Its inhabitants are chiefly dependent on the trade of the Danube, which is here navigable for steam and sailing vessels. The products of Moldavia are grain, hides, and tallow, exported from Ismail in large quantities. With the exception of some old Armenian churches there is nothing in the buildings of Ismail to strike the eye of the observer. Pop. (1849) 26,243.