Târgoviște

County capital

Coat of arms

Târgoviște

Location of Târgoviște

Coordinates: 44°55′27″N 25°27′24″E / 44.92417°N 25.45667°ECoordinates: 44°55′27″N 25°27′24″E / 44.92417°N 25.45667°E

Romania

Government

• Mayor

Cristian Daniel Stan (PSD)

Population (2011 census)

• Total

79,610

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

• Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Website

http://www.pmtgv.ro/

Târgoviște (alternative spelling: Tîrgoviște; Romanian pronunciation: [tɨr.ˈɡo.viʃ.te]) is a city in Romania, being the county seat of the Dâmbovița County. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River. At the 2011 census Târgoviște had a population of 79,610, making it the 26th largest city in Romania. One of the most important cities in the history of Wallachia, it was its capital between the early 15th century and the 16th century.

The name "Târgoviște" is a Slavic name which the city acquired in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Bulgarian word for marketplace "търговище" (pronounced [tərˈɡɔviʃtɛ]), referring to the place rather than the market itself, which might suggest that the market (târg) may have at one time been temporarily interrupted.

The name is found in placenames not only in South Slavic areas (Bulgarian Търговище and Serbian Трговиште), but also in West Slavic such as Slovakian Trhovište. Additionally, places with the same name are found in Romania, in the regions of Oltenia, Banat, and Moldavia.

The Romanian and a Bulgarian towns with the same name are also twinned.

The area of Târgoviște which was first inhabited is located where the Saint Nicholas-Geartoglu Church and Stelea Veche Church stand today. It was in this place that the first fortifications were built: a small stone building surrounded by a brick wall and a moat, probably belonging to a local ruler. However, archaeological evidence is scarce and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it was erected.

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Wikipedia