Turda (; , ; ; ) is a city in Cluj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in the southeastern part of the county, from the county seat, Cluj-Napoca, to which it is connected by the European route E81, and from nearby Câmpia Turzii.

The city consists of four neighborhoods: Turda Veche, Turda Nouă, Oprișani, and Poiana. It is traversed from west to east by the Arieș River and north to south by its tributary, Valea Racilor.

History

Ancient times

thumb|left|Milliarium of Aiton, the oldest known epigraphical attestation of Potaissa – a copy erected in June 1993 in front of the Turda Post Office

There is evidence of human settlement in the area dating to the Middle Paleolithic, some 60,000 years ago. The Potaissa salt mines were worked in the area since prehistoric times.

The Dacians established a town that Ptolemy in his Geography calls Patreuissa, which is probably a corruption of Patavissa or Potaissa, the latter being more common. It was conquered by the Romans, who kept the name Potaissa, between AD 101 and 106, during the rule of Trajan, together with parts of Decebal's Dacia. "Potaissa" is first recorded on a Roman milliarium discovered in 1758 in the nearby Aiton commune. The city became a municipium Septimium, and benefited from Ius Italicum, however if it reached the rank of colonia is uncertain. At its height it housed as many as 20,000 people. About 200 inscriptions were recovered from the now entirely overlapped Roman ruins, many showing vulgarisms such as v/b alternation or simplification of the geminates.

thumb|left|[[Roman bath at Castra Potaissa]]

The legionary fortress was established as the basecamp of the Legio V Macedonica from 166 to 274, and was also named Potaissa.

From the reign of Gordian III (238–244) numerous treasures were excavated from Turda, Țaga, Viișoara, and Mărtinești, showing that in this time the defense was breaking under the Carps, Goths, Gepids, and Vandals.

Objects dated to post-Aurelian retreat found at the site (for example an inscribed onyx gem depicting the Good Shepherd, and silver coins of Diocletian) together with a large burial containing sarcophagi and a cremation stone box point at continuous habitation until the early fifth century. The situation changes in the next two centuries when dwellings and cemeteries superpose the Roman site, in a similar manner to Apulum and Sirmium. After conquering the place, the Huns settled down near. From this time three solidus were found from graves. Burying with coins was a Gepid tradition not typical of the Huns, meaning that they settled their vassals in Transylvania too.

Saxons settled in the area in the 12th century. Much of the town was destroyed during the Tatar invasion in 1241–1242, however most of its inhabitants survived by hiding in the cave system. King Stephen V ensured its quick revival by giving privileges. During the interwar period, the city became the seat of Turda County. In 1944, the Battle of Turda took place between German and Hungarian forces on one side and Soviet and Romanian forces on the other. It was the largest battle fought in Transylvania during World War II.

Demographics

According to the Hungarian census from 1910, the town had 13,455 inhabitants, of which 9,674 were Hungarians, 3,389 Romanians, and 100 Germans.

According to the 2011 Romanian census, there were 47,744 people living within the city. Of this population, 84.7% were ethnic Romanians, while 8.98% were ethnic Hungarians, 6.03% ethnic Roma, and 0.4% others.

At the 2021 census, Turda had a population of 43,319, a decrease of 9.3% from the previous census; of those, 72.46% were Romanians, 5.92% Hungarians, and 4.03% Roma.

Notable people

Tourism

  • Salina Turda
  • Cheile Turzii

See also

  • Decree of Turda
  • Universitas Valachorum
  • List of Transylvanian Saxon localities
  • Ancient history of Transylvania, History of Transylvania
  • Franziska Tesaurus
  • Edict of Torda

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Turda is twinned with:

  • Angoulême
  • Hódmezővásárhely
  • Santa Susanna
  • Torda

<gallery>

File:PrimariaTurda02 2009.jpg|City Hall

File:VilaMendelTurda01.jpg|Mendel Villa

File:2010 - IMG 1176.jpg|Palace of Finance

File:Turda History Museum 2011-1.jpg|Princely Palace, now the History Museum

File:Turda Orthodox Cathedral1.JPG|Orthodox Cathedral

File:Salina Turda 5.jpg|Turda salt mine

</gallery>

References

Bibliography

  • Official site of the city hall
  • TurdaTurism.ro
  • Fundatia Potaissa