The Saint Maria Church, Orheiul Vechi, Moldova
The Saint Maria Church built in 1905 dedicated to the Ascension of St Mary above an 18th century cave church and on the location of a destroyed 14th century fortress The church was shot down under the Soviets in 1944 but services resumed in 1996. Along with churches and monasteries on the territory of Moldova, of particular importance were small and secluded monasteries, hermitages and cloisters cut in a rock on the banks of the Dniester and of the Raut. As a rule, they played a special role in a medieval architecture, being both religious and refuge places during the times of adversity. A Hermitage in Butuceni was established in the XIth century and is one of the most ancient cave monument located in the neighborhood of Orheiul Vechi (an ancient settlement sprang up in the Paleolithic epoch), near the village of Butuceni, 17 km from the town Orhei.
Size: 3347px × 5013px
Photo credit: © Dan Bachmann / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1905, 1944, architecture, bachmann, blue, christian, christianity, church, cross, crucifix, crusafix, crusifix, dan, eastern, europe, hill, icon, maria, mary, moldova, orheiul, photography, religion, religious, republic, saint, soviet, st, travel, truck, vechi, yellow
