Tîrgovişte [key], town (1990 pop. 100,948), S central Romania, in Walachia, in a petroleum-producing region. Oil refining and the manufacture of oil-field equipment and iron and steel are the chief industries. Tîrgovişte was the administrative, political, and cultural center of Walachia from 1383 until 1698, when the capital was moved to Bucharest. It was destroyed by the Turks in 1737. The town is now the seat of an Orthodox bishopric. Many tourists are attracted by Tîrgovişte's historic buildings, including a remarkable 16th-century cathedral with nine towers, a 15th-century monastery, and the ruins of a 14th-century castle.
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