Țara Călatei

Dumbrava, Ţara Călatei, Cluj province, Romania

Kalotaszeg (Romanian: Țara Călatei) is a region in Romania, belonging to the area of Transylvania which was formerly part of the Hungarian Kingdom. It is one of the few areas in Western Romania with a significant Hungarian population, and it is a stronghold of old Transylvanian Hungarian folk traditions.

Geography

Kalotaszeg is a rural region situated just west of Cluj-Napoca in the western part of Cluj County and in the southern part of Sălaj County. It's historical center is the small town of Huedin. The region has an ethnically mixed population: Hungarians, Romanians and Roma. Its Jewish population suffered heavily during the Second World War.

Name

The region takes its name from the Kalota (Călata) people. The name formerly referred to a much larger territory; according to Lajos Kelemen's study on the history and historical monuments of the Kalotaszeg (Țara Călatei) region, during the Hungarian Middle Ages the area reached from the Barcău (Berettyó) River to the Crişul Repede (Sebes-Körös) River. The region as it is known today lies mainly west of Cluj-Napoca, although there are also some villages to the north and east as well which follow Kalotaszeg customs.

Kalotaszeg in popular culture

The region was featured in the film Kalotaszegi Madonna ("Madonna from Kalotaszeg", 1943), made when Northern Transylvania was part of Hungary. The plot revolves around the region and the city of Kolozsvár, but some of the scenes were shot in the region as well.

Gallery

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  Hungarian church of Văleni / Magyarvalkó village

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  Romanian church of Agârbiciu / Egerbegy, built during the XVIIth century

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  Traditional Hungarian costumes from Izvoru Crişului / Körösfő

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  Romanian church of Fildu de Sus / Alsófüld (in Sălaj County) built during the XVIIIth century.

External links

• Kalotaszeg