Caransebeș

Caransebeș (karanˈsebeʃ; Karansebesch; Karánsebes, Hungarian pronunciation: ’) is a city in Caraș-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. One village, Jupa (Zsuppa), is administered by the city. The city is located at the confluence of the Timiș River with the Sebeș River, the latter flowing from the Țarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat Hills. It is an important railroad node, being located approximately 40 km from the county seat, Reșița, 21 km from Oțelu Roșu, 70 km from Hațeg, and about 25 km from the Muntele Mic ski resort, in the Țarcu Mountains. Caransebeș has a humid continental climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification), with an average of , but summers can be warm, with an average of . Rainfall can be quite abundant throughout the year. The first traces of habitation here might date as far as Dacian times. Dacian ruins have been discovered recently near Obreja, a village 7 km away. As the Romans invaded Dacia, they built a castrum named Tibiscum, which was dug up by archaeologists near the nearby village of Jupa, a castrum which later grew to be a full city. Tibiscum is considered one of the gates of Christianity in Dacia, having an important role also in the Romanization of the local people. During the Middle Ages, the local people continuously inhabited the area. The region became part of the Hungarian Kingdom, then later under the rule of the Transylvanian Principality, and under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. In 1788 a self-inflicted defeat, the Battle of Caransebeș, is supposed (the historical accuracy is in doubt) to have taken place here. Later, the Habsburgs took the control of the region, after prolonged wars against the Ottomans. As part of the Principality of Transylvania, in 1804 the city became part of the Austrian Empire. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, it became again part of Hungary. After railroads began to appear, the role of Caransebeș grew continuously.