Cahors

**Cahors** () is a commune in southwestern France. It is in Occitanie. Cahors is the *prefecture* (capital) of the Lot department. It is also the capital of 3 *cantons*: Cahors-1, Cahors-2 and Cahors-3.

Cahors was the capital of the old province of Quercy and the people of this city are known, in French, as *cadurciens* (women: *cadurciennes*). This name comes from the old name of the city, *Carduca*.

## History
Cahors is an ancient town. The people that inhabited the area at the time of the Roman conquest were called *Carduci* and so the Romans named the town as Divona or *Divona Cadurcorum*, "Divona of the Cadurci"; Divona was a source of water, now called "*fontaine des Chartreux*". The word *Cahors* comes from *Cadurcorum*.

## Geography
Cahors is located in the southwest of France, in the old province of Quercy, in the valley of the Lot river, and is found in a peninsula () formed by an U-shaped meander of that river which gives its name to the department.

It has an area of  and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

The *commune* is at  north of Toulouse and is surrounded by the *communes* Mercuès, Calamane, Pradines, Arcambal, Lamagdelaine, Laroque-des-Arcs, Trespoux-Rassiels, Labastide-Marnhac, Le Montat and Flaujac-Poujols.

### Climate 
The climate of Cahors, in the Köppen climate classification, is **Cfb** - Oceanic climate with temperate summers.

## Population
With a population of 19,630, Cahors has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

**Evolution of the population in Cahors**

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 bar:1999 at: 20003 fontsize:S text: 20,003 shift:(-15,5)
 bar:2006 at: 20062 fontsize:S text: 20,062 shift:(-15,5)
 bar:2011 at: 20224 fontsize:S text: 20,224 shift:(-15,5)
 bar:2014 at: 19630 fontsize:S text: 19,630 shift:(-15,5)

Cahors forms, together with the *commune* Pradines, the urban area of Cahors, with a population of 23,090 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Cahors, formed by 44 *communes* with a population of 44,255 inhabitants (2013) and an area of .

## Administration 
Cahors is the prefecture of the Lot department, the capital of the *arrondissement* of Cahors and the administrative centre () of the Cahors-1, Cahors-2 and Cahors-3 cantons.

It is part of the intercommunality *Le Grand Cahors* ().

## Places of interest
Some places of interest are:
* *Pont Valentré* (Valentré Bridge, ), a symbol of the town across the Lot river. It was built between 1308 and 1378.
* *Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors* (Cahors Cathedral), a national monument in France.
* *Arc de Diane* (Diane's Arch), remains of Roman baths. 
* Saint-Barthélémy Church (14th century).
* Maison Henri IV or Hôtel de Roaldès (15th century).

## Gallery

File:Cahors Hôtel de ville.JPG|*Hôtel de ville* (City hall)
File:Cahors GUG 04.jpg|Cahors cathedral
File:Cahors Arc de Diane.jpg|*Arc de Diane*
File:Cahors Vue générale 9.JPG|Cahors from Mont Saint-Cyr

## References
## Related pages
* Arrondissement of Cahors
* Communes of the Lot department

## Other websites
* Ville de Cahors - Official website 
* Office de Tourisme de Grand Cahors  (in English: Grand Cahors Tourist Office )