and semantic resemblance between the Romanian term and those in other languages. He notes, too, the existence of a noun, tâmpă, meaning "a very extensive mountainside, rocky and with a very abrupt descent"; also appearing as tâmp, it can mean "a hill or mountain abruptly rising to a great distance above flat land". However, he notes the difficulty of making assumptions about the obscure languages spoken prior to the Roman conquest of Dacia. He also points out that mountains are often named after particular characteristics, a fact that generally points to an origin in the adjective tâmp. History The oldest human traces on Tâmpa date to the time of the Dacians. On Tâmpa, archeologists have discovered a bone pit from that period, indicating that a pagan cult was practiced there. Through the years, Tâmpa has been relatively safe from natural disasters like mudslides or earthquakes. The most severe damage has been caused by fires, particularly those of 1689, 1731, 1860, 1880 and 1946. Brașovia Citadel was one of the seven castles that provided the German name for Transylvania: Siebenbürgen. The building, located between the peak and the crest of Tâmpa, is presumed to have been raised in the time of the Teutonic Knights (1212–1218), or if not, was certainly fortified then. In 1241, several Brașov families were able to shelter themselves there from Tatar raids. In 1397, before the war against the Turks began, Mircea I of Wallachia placed his family safe in the citadel. In 1421, the people of Brașov took refuge in the citadel, threatened as they were by Sultan Murad II. That year, the citadel was given as surety to the sultan, as the Turks dominated the city from on high. Thus, the fortification became dangerous for Brașov's inhabitants and for the entire area. After succeeding in taking it back, with the help of John Hunyadi, the inhabitants decided to demolish it. Its stones were used to fortify the citadel in the valley, then just being built. The citadel was made of stone, with a small polygonal tower on the west side, on Tâmpa's peak. Along the walls were found small towers for defence. Within the southern walls, traces of small rooms have been discovered. There was also a deep well and a chapel inside. As the fortification was surrounded by precipices on three sides and was well-defended on its fourth, it was one of the most