Craiova, city, capital of Dolj județ (county), southwestern Romania. It is situated near the Jiu River, 115 miles (185 km) west of Bucharest. Settlement there is of long standing. Close to the city archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman fortress built under Trajan. From the late 15th to the 18th century Craiova was the residence of the military governors of the region. The city prospered as a regional trading centre despite an earthquake in 1790, a plague in 1795, and a Turkish assault in 1802 during which it was burned. The oldest remaining architectural monument is the St. Dimitru church, rebuilt several times but still a likeness of the original erected in 1652.
The city has a university (1966), a state philharmonic orchestra and theatre, and a regional museum. Manufactures include diesel locomotives, transformers, mining equipment, and machine tools, and there is some food processing. Pop. (2007 est.) 299,429.