«Old Orhei»

 Near the villages Butuceni and Trebujeni the river Reut is fancifully curving, forming 2 extended capes protected with the high steep rocks. This "canyon" amazing with the greatness and beauty, represents the real natural fortress occupied since ancient times. Here, in this surprising place located 60 km from Chisinau there is a museum complex «Old Orhei» -  museum in the open-air.

The territory of the museum complex occupying 220 hectares keeps the ruins of different civilizations. These are the Gaeta -Dacian strengthening (VI-I centuries BC), orthodox rocky monasteries (IX-XV centuries), the Tatar-Mongolian city of Shehr al-Jedid (XIV) and the Moldavian city of Orhei (XV-XVII centuries).
In the beginning of XIV century Golden Horde, having won these territories, erects the city of Shehr al-Jedid with true eastern shapes. The bases and a part of walls of 3 public baths equipped with heating and the pipeline remained up to now.
In 60th the Golden Horde city stops its existence, and in the first half of XV century on its place there is appearing Moldavian settlement Orhei. In 70th years of XV century Orhei becomes a prospering city and the important defensive center of the Moldavian princedom.
Approximately in the middle of XVI century inhabitants of Orhei move to a new place (18 km to the north) where subsequently the city with the same name appears.
The former city appears in documents already as Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei).
The most part of finds is stored in the collection of the museum complex containing more than 4 thousand of museum subjects.
The life of the Moldavian peasants and country's ethnography is shown to the visitors in «the Country house of XIX century», located in village Butuceni.
The museum complex is well-known for the monasteries cavated in IX-XV centuries in thickness of the calcareous rocks, towering on the right coast of Reut.
 One of them, located closer to the village Butuceni, consists of the operating church "Assumption of the Virgin", cells, and also the stone belltower built in XIX century. The rock is crowned with the stone cross.
 Nearby, on the same river bank, in district known under the name "Pestera", the rocky monastery is located. The particular interest is represented by inscriptions and the signs cut on the walls of its temple and cells.

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