Arad was first mentioned in
documents in the 11th century. The Mongol invasion of the Kingdom of Hungary in
1241 showed the importance of the fortifications on this place, to which were
added in the second half of the 13th century more stone fortresses at Șoimoș,
Șiria, and Dezna. The Ottoman Empire conquered the region from Hungary in 1551
and kept it until the Peace of Karlowitz of 1699. Arad became an eyalet center,
which comprised the sanjaks of Arad, Lugoj, Kacaş, Beşlek and Yanova from 1660
till 1697, when it was captured by Austrians during Ottoman-Habsburg
