Iași

**Iaşi** is a city in the northeastern part of Romania.  It is the second largest city in Romania as of the year 2007. Iaşi used to be the capital of Moldavia.

## History

Alexandru Lăpuşneanu changed the capital of Moldavia from Suceava to Iaşi in 1564.  One of the first churches to be built in Moldavia was built by the Greek adventurer Prince Ioan Iacob Heraclid.

The Tatars burned the city down in 1513.  The Ottoman Empire also burned the city down in 1538 and people from the Imperial Russian army did so again in 1686. The plague spread throughout the city in 1734.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1787 was stopped when the Peace of Iaşi happened.  Alexander Ypsilanti and the Filiki Eteria came into the city and took it in 1822.

Iaşi was the capital of Moldavia from 1568 to 1859.  When World War I happened, Iaşi became the capital of Romania.  This happened when the Central Powers took Bucharest on 6 December 1916.  Bucharest became the capital again when Imperial Germany was defeated.

## Geography

Iaşi can be found on the Bahlui River, which is a tributary of the Jijia.  Forests and uplands are very common.  These woods and hills include the monasteries of Cetăţuia, Frumoasa, and Galata.  People have thought that Iaşi was built on seven hills (Cetăţuia, Galata, Copou-Aurora, Bucium-Păun, Şorogari, Repedea and Breazu in Romanian).

## Population

The population of Iaşi has changed a bit over the years:

- 1859:  50,000
- 1900:  78,000
- 1930: 102,872
- 1948:  96,075
- 1966: 161,023
- 1977: 265,002
- 1992: 344,425
- 2002: 320,888
- 2004: 317,812 (Since July 4, 2004, the second-biggest city)
- 2006: 306,000 (the third-biggest city)
- 2007 (July 1st): 315,214 (second biggest city)

## Sister cities

The following are the sister cities of Iaşi:

- Chişinău, Moldova.
- Assiut, Egypt.
- Atlanta, United States.
- Filacciano, Italy.
- Forano, Italy.
- Ilioupoli, Greece.
- Isfahan, Iran.
- Jericho, Palestine.
- Ramleh, Israel.
- Kozani, Greece.
- Monterrey, Mexico.
- Morlupo, Italy.
- Nazzano, Italy.
- Padua, Italy.
- Peristeri, Greece.
- Poitiers, France.
- Rhodes, Greece.
- Quebec City, Canada.
- Sant'Oreste, Italy.
- Torrita Tiberina, Italy.
- Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
- Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
- Xi'an, China.

## Other websites

- Iasi City Hall website
- Official site of the Iaşi police inspectorate
- Events in Iaşi
- Iasi Map

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Iași
- **other name**: Jassy
Iassy
- **settlement type**: County Seat
- **image skyline**: Collage Iași (Jassy).jpg
- **image caption**: From top left: Palace of Culture (Iași), Palace of Culture, Vasile Alecsandri Statue in front of the Iași National Theatre, National Theatre, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Golia Monastery, Golia Tower, Metropolitan Cathedral, Iași, Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Iași Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden
- **image shield**: ROU IS Iasi CoA.png
- **nickname**: The Cultural Capital of Romania, The City of Great Loves, The City of the Famous Destinies, The City of Great Ideas, The City of the Three Unions, The City on Seven Hills
- **mapsize**: 200px
- **map caption**: Location of Iași within Romania (in red)
- **pushpin map**: Romania
- **subdivision type**: Countries of the world, Country
- **subdivision type1**: Administrative divisions of Romania, County
- **subdivision type2**: Subdivisions of Romania, Status
- **subdivision name2**: Municipality
- **established title**: Settled
- **established date**: Before 14th century
- **established title2**: First official record
- **established date2**: 1408
- **leader party**: Independent politician, Independent
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader name**: Mihai Chirica
- **area total km2**: 93.9
- **area metro km2**: 808
- **elevation m**: 60
- **population total**: 290,422
- **population as of**: 2011 census
- **population density km2**: 3092
- **pop est as of**: 2016
- **population est**: 362,142
- **population metro**: 474,035
- **postal code type**: Postal Code
- **postal code**: 700xxx
- **area code**: +40 x32
- **timezone**: Eastern European Time, EET
- **utc offset**: +2
- **timezone dst**: Eastern European Summer Time, EEST
- **utc offset dst**: +3
- **blank name**: Romanian car number plates, Car Plates
- **blank info**: IS
- **blank1 name**: Köppen climate classification, Climate
- **blank1 info**: Humid continental climate#Mild/cool summer subtype, Dfb