Caransebeş

Caransebeș
Municipality
Caransebeș synagogue
Coat of arms
Location of Caransebeș
Coordinates: 45°25′17″N 22°13′19″E / 45.42139°N 22.22194°E / 45.42139; 22.22194Coordinates: 45°25′17″N 22°13′19″E / 45.42139°N 22.22194°E / 45.42139; 22.22194
Country	Romania
County	Caraș-Severin County
Status	Municipality
Government
• Mayor	Marcel Vela (National Liberal Party)
Area
• Total	70.08 km2 (27.06 sq mi)
Population (2002)
• Total	28,301
• Density	384/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Climate	Cfb
Website	primaria-caransebes.ro

Caransebeș (Romanian pronunciation: [karanˈsebeʃ]; German: Karansebesch; Hungarian: Karánsebes, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkɒraːnʃɛbɛʃ]; Turkish: Karansebeş) is a city in Caraș-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the River Timiș with the River Sebeș, the latter coming 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 away from Reșița, 21 km from Oțelu Roșu, 70 km from Hațeg and about 25 km from the Muntele Mic ski resort, in the Țarcu Mountains.

One village, Jupa (Hungarian: Zsuppa), is administered by the city.

The climate in Caransebeș is rather mild. Sub-Mediterranean climatic influences are present to some extent. Temperatures do not drop too low in winter (with an average of 0,-15 °C), but summers can be warm (30-38 °C average). 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.