Iaşi
Cetatuia Monastery in Iasi
February 29, 2004
Iasi is truly an experience, or perhaps more an unexplainable feeling. The city
stand on a number of hills and is consumed with churches and museums, but also with
communist block apartment buildings, although many are hidden at first sight.
As you look across one valley you can see two monasteries on the furthest outlying
hills of the city, only their silhouettes on the clouded backdrop visible as the
sun fell upon them. This only adds to the tranquil feeling the city conveys. The
atmosphere feels like I began reading a book and soon saw myself from the outside
as a character in a place I didn’t expect to be; real, but the details almost exaggerated
to the degree of unbelievable.
On Sunday from the Moldavian Metropolical Cathedral we could hear singing; the sun
soon awoke to display the Galata Monastery on a distant hill. As passers-by crossed
the church they crossed themselves twice and continued. Nearly everyone did this
and the percentage of believers, based only on crossing themselves was incredible.
Nearly all did this young and old, not embarrassed, not proud, only done in a matter
of fact tone.
“Little Texas,” our hotel was nice, the staff were friendly and giving. The city's
prices were very cheap, the history was intriguing, the churches were all unique,
and the city was filled by a variety of buildings due to it being the former capital
including a building by Eiffel.
I felt removed and placed into a story of vampires and monastery castles. The atmosphere
was only completed when I heard the chanting from the cathedrals and listened to
the romance language of which I knew nothing, making me feel completely removed.
Barboi Monastery in Iasi
Church of the Three Hierarchs in Iasi