MANUC BEY MANOR

Surrounded by a small park, the Manuc Bey estate includes two 19th century buildings. Emanuel Marzaian, Armenian businessman and diplomat (known as Manuc Bey), was born in 1769 in the town of Rusciuc (now in Bulgaria). At the age of 12 he was sent to Iaşi (principality of Moldova) to learn the trade of merchant. Thanks to many trips to Constantinople, he became a rich merchant and accumulated a considerable fortune.

Built between 1816 and 1817, the mansion features Turkish, Armenian, local and classical architectural styles. The ceiling was painted by Ivan Aïvazovski. Manuc Bey died in 1817 and his heir sons Ion and Grigore made it a place for social gatherings and grand celebrations. The library contained more than 6,000 volumes and was expanded in 1935 thanks to Ecatarina, Manuc Bey's great-granddaughter. During the Soviet period the residence became a Construction College.

The hunting castle was built in 1881 by the architect Bernardazzi and consists of red bricks. Its architecture is characteristic of Bernardazzi's late style, inspired by French Gothic and Renaissance elements. Its towers are covered with pyramidal roofs and decorative spires. On the façades, bas-reliefs represent symbols related to hunting.

The museum presents the fauna and flora of the surroundings, ethnographic pieces of the peasant world and photographs of the last century on the history of Manuc Bey's family. Underground tunnels exist under the site.