Old Orhei

Old Orhei (

History

The ancient city of Orheiul Vechi is a natural and historical complex located on a narrow bend of the Răut River. The natural landscape of

Eneolithic, and Iron Age

.

Old Orhei contains traces of different civilizations, including the remnants of earthen and wooden fortresses of

Moldavian

fort dating from the 14th-16th centuries, an Orthodox monastery (c. 14th century), and the Moldavian town of Orhei from the 14th–16th centuries.

The Orthodox monastery is still inhabited by a handful of Orthodox monks who maintain the church at the top of the hill. The caves are still functional as chapels. The caves contain an array of historical artifacts and Old Church Slavonic inscriptions dating from the 1690s, which testify that the Hajduk took shelter in the caves, hiding from the Ottoman Empire.