Carei

Sister cities

• Mátészalka
• Nyírbátor
• Orosháza

History

The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul" dates from 1320, and as "Károly" in 1325, however, the city is known to have existed since 1264, as it was the domain of the Kaplony clan and the center of the Károlyi family's personal domain that settled in the region shortly after the arrival of the Hungarians. The name of the city comes from the word "karul" (in modern Hungarian "karvaly"). The etymology of the word can be traced back to the ancient Turkish language, the word meaning Eurasian sparrowhawk. Another theory is that the city was named after the Károlyi family. King Louis I of Hungary permitted the organization of weekly market gatherings on Saturdays in Carei in 1346, as a result of the military achievements of the Károlyi family. The development of regional trade in the region stimulated the development of the town, and in 1387, King Sigismund elevates the town to county center, while also granting it independent jurisdiction. Over the course of the following decades, due to fears of an Ottoman attack, the residence will gradually get transformed into a fortification outfitted with a moat, four corner bastions and shooting niches for cannons. After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the town falls under the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom (after 1570 the Principality of Transylvania), a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, and in the ensuing struggle between the Habsburg Ferdinand I and John Zápolya for the crown of Hungary, the Karolyi family initially sides with Zápolya, and Ferdinand confiscates their holdings in 1558, however, he reinstates them to power later. In 1592, the baron, Mihály Károlyi, further expands the fortifications of the city, these being made out of predominantly dirt. However, after an Ottoman response, the city is forced to keep…

Geography

The municipality of Carei is situated in the north-west of Romania, away from Oradea. Carei is situated in the south-western part of Satu-Mare County, in a plain region, and it is away from the county seat, Satu-Mare. Communes that are near Carei include Căpleni, Urziceni, Foieni, Sanislău, Petrești, Tiream, Căuaș, and Moftin.

Most-observed species

• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  11
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  7
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  7
• Northern Lapwing

  Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2025-10-15
  3 km SSW of Porumbești, Romania
• M 4.3 — 2023-01-03
  1 km NNE of Bilky, Ukraine
• M 4 — 2015-07-19
  8 km WSW of Neresnytsya, Ukraine
• M 4.8 — 2006-11-23
  6 km S of Koson’, Ukraine
• M 3.1 — 2006-11-15
  5 km SE of Vary, Ukraine
• M 3 — 2006-07-14
  5 km NNE of Dobre?ti, Romania