ORHEI VECHI ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX

Thraco-Geto-Dacian fortress. The Dacians, also identified with the Gauls, are Indo-European people, who lived between the Carpathians, the Danube and the Black Sea. Their territory was called Dacia. The promontory of Butuceni is an ideal site to erect a defence point. The whole fortress follows a natural ovoid plan defined and oriented by the east-west relief. To the north, the boundaries overhang the Raut River at more than 60 m and to the southwest it is between 2 and 3 m above the water. Walls (dating from the 11th to the ^5th century BC), a citadel and a sanctuary were erected there, some elements of which are still visible today. One of the walls is 364 m long.

Medieval fortress. During the reign of the Golden Horde, the Mongols founded around 1330, at Peștera, a village called Sehr al-Cedid ("New City"). At the end of the 1360s, a mausoleum and a crypt were built. This building will be transformed into the palace of the Mongolian governor in 1366. Its architecture follows a trapezoidal plan with four towers at each corner. In the 14th century, the site also had a mosque, baths and a caravanserai. The mosque is within the Mongolian palace enclosure, following an almost square plan measuring 58 x 52 m in length, with an entrance to the south and the ruins of a minaret to the north. After the withdrawal of the Golden Horde in 1369, the citadel was inhabited by the native Moldavians. During the reign of Stefan cel Mare, it was rebuilt and used as a residence for the governor or princes. To the south-west of the citadel, there are stone dwellings dating from the 15th century. Two bronze cannons dating from the reign of Stefan cel Mare have been discovered here. The canons can be seen in the National Museum of Archaeology and History at Chişinău.

Medieval church. The central part of the Orhei Vechi site has kept intact the bases of a 14th century church. The three-compartment composition is rectangular with an altar, a square nave and a narthex. Archaeologists have found two tombs under the nave. Close to the church are the remains of a cemetery with Cyrillic inscriptions. A church stands at the end of the Butuceni promontory, built in the 19th century and very recently renovated.

Four troglodyte and rocky sites. The first Christians hunted down by the Romans arrived north of the Danube in the 4th century. Between the Prut and the Dniestr, they found large limestone breaches, a real gift from heaven, to install monasteries, isolate themselves from the world and protect themselves. At Orhei Vechi, there are four sites:

Hermitage Peştera. It consists of a church and twelve cells, at 50 m above sea level. The church has a nave, an altar, a narthex and a porch. The altar consists of a stone table. In the past, the monastery was entered by means of ropes going down the cliff and then by wooden stairs. Today, access is through a tunnel created in 1820, when the monastery became the parish of the village. It is a bewitching place, where we are welcomed by a priest who still lives here with a young monk. He speaks several languages and is happy to answer all your questions. The place is decorated with many icons and a natural balcony on the cliffside allows you to observe the surroundings. In 1822, a belfry was built at the entrance of the tunnel. From the outside, it seems to rise out of the ground and indicates the location of this hermitage. Not far from this belfry stands a massive stone cross, dating from the 18th century. According to legend, it heals souls. Touching it and walking around it also ensures the fulfilment of our wishes. From this place, you can also enjoy a beautiful panorama of the natural site of Orhei Vechi. A hundred meters away, you can see and visit the Church of St. Mary, with its beautiful bell tower with golden bulb.

Bosie Pîrcâlab Monastery. Caves dug into the limestone, overhanging the banks of the river at a height of 25 m. This monastery consists of a church and cells in a row. The church was dedicated to Saint Nicholas, it has an altar and a nave. In the church, two inscriptions can be read, one in Slavic language dated 1665, "7173", referring to the construction of this monastery by Bosie Pîrcâlab and his family, another one in Romanian language but Cyrillic alphabet dated 1689, "7198".

Monastery Albu Pîrcâlab. Located south of the Butuceni promontory and also called the "hermitage of Măşcăuţi", this monastery was almost completely destroyed by successive earthquakes. The access to this site is forbidden, the archaeologists use an adapted material to go there, it is more than 70 m high. More than 20 rooms have been identified, located on four or five different levels. Christian symbols are engraved in the caves.

Troglodyte cells. To the east of the promontory of Peştera, more than 150 cavities were used as monastic cells between the 15th and 18th centuries. They were established on ten levels and were located at an altitude of between 10 and 70 m. They are almost inaccessible. Larger areas are dedicated to monastic brotherhoods and other circular rooms can also be identified. Two chapels are also listed, with stones engraved with Christian symbols, crosses and inscriptions in Cyrillic characters.