Maramures, an isolated Carpathian region of Romania. Two farmers on a horse cart on a rural road.

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Maramures, the European Far East, is an isolated Carpathian region of Romania. It is inhabited by shepherds, breeders and farmers. The horse is the main means of transport. Here, among wooden monasteries and colorful cemeteries, surviving ancient rituals and ancestral fears. every house is a little fortress, the big wooden portal keep out the evil spirits. The cult of the dead involves a complex funerary rite. The ceremony consists of three phases, the separation from the living world, the preparation for the trip and entry into the world of the dead. If the ceremony is not respected, the soul of the deceased returns as a ghost or a vampire. The wooden churches are another peculiarity of Maramures. They have highest steeples. The use of wood comes from the prohibition to build stone churches that Hungarians Catholics imposed Orthodox Romanians in 1278. Harsh winters, large forests and an obsolete road network make the Maramures one of the most isolated regions of Central Europe.

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Size: 3725px × 2493px
Location: Maramures, Romania
Photo credit: © Ferdinando Piezzi / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: carpathian, carpathians, cart, crucifix, farmers, horse, horses, maramures, mountains, mud, muddy, region, road, romania, rural, wooden