Negresti-Oas

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A town in Satu Mare county, center of the Oas historical region.

In a letter written in the 17-th of October 1270, the region of Oas is mentioned as The land of OVAS. In the diplomas of Maramures, a historical region situated west from Oas, Negresti-Oas in described as part of "The Road Of The Salt", that started from the salt mines of Giulesti - Maramures and crossed over the mountains to Negresti-Oas, heading to Satu Mare and beyond, to Panonia.

More than 100 years ago, a Hungarian historian wrote that "Felosfalu" (Negresti-Oas) is the largest Romanian settlement of Oas. <The village spreading over 77 hills and has only 300 houses>.

Some 19-th century documents are referring to Negresti-Oas as the largest village in Oas Country, with 600 homes and 2725 inhabitants.



Tara Oasului

The relief and climate in what it is today the county of Satu Mare provided the necessary conditions of living for the Neanderthal Man and Homo Sapiens Fosilis, species that lived on the high plains from Oas Country, (Remetea Oas, Boinesti, Calinesti-Oas) over 100.000 years ago. During The Bronze Age, the region was the home of one of the most precious "schools" of ceramics, "Cultura Suciu de Sus", with created objects that are now precious, wanted by museums all over the world.

Some historians sustain that the name "Oas" comes from the latin "Terra Awas", (Awas - clearing). Tara Oasului is also mentioned in the chronicles of Romanian historian Grigore Ureche.