Europe 2019 - Day 40 (Part 3)

15 June 2019, Saturday

Then to the New St George’s Church (apparently there is another St George Church here; hence the “new”). The Church dates back to 1699 and is significant primarily as the burial place of Wallachian prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1688–1714). Brâncoveanu was captured by the Turks in 1714 after refusing to take part in the Russo-Turkish War (1711). He and his four sons were taken to Istanbul and beheaded. Nearby the Church was the Kilometre Zero Monument. 

We passed by another church: the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, Saint Martyr Philothea-Razvan Church. There was soothing hymn-like music flowing from this church. Almost took all my troubles away. Almost. The foundation of this Church is attributed to Ştefan II Razvan, the ruling prince of Moldavia, in 1597. It was rebuilt in 1705-1706 by a man named Vacarescu and his family. It was badly damaged by a fire in 1874, but repaired in 1857-1859 and restored to its original form in 1970. 

Nearby was a bust of Corneliu Coposu, a conservative Romanian politician. Then to the St Mina Vergu Church which was founded by a man named Vergu in 1724-1725, who was Constantin Brâncoveanu’s ambassador. Significant repairs were made to the Church in 1874 where there was a pronounced dedication to Saint Mina, in 1900 when the porch was added, in 1941-1943 and after the earthquake in 1977. The facade of this Church is decorated in Neo-Romanian style. 

Then another church - the Doamnei Church, founded in 1683 by Maria Doamna, the second wife of Serban Cantacuzino (a very rich man in Romania; his house is known as the Cantacuzino Palace - so there!). The wooden door has intricate patterns carved into it. Next, to the Coral Temple (Synagogue). During the Holocaust, about 400,000 of the Jews who were killed were from Romania and its temporarily occupied territories. The Synagogue was built in 1991 by the descendants of those 400,000 who perished as a remembrance to them. 

Then we walked back to the hostel as my handphone battery was almost dead thanks to the horrid Google Maps and WhatsApp messages coming in for my friend from her brother; I had to get my power bank. Since we were home we did some laundry as we were not allowed to use the washing machine after 9 p.m.

All that done, we went out again to Old Town. On the way I stopped to buy some souvenirs. My third bag full of souvenirs is getting heavier by the minute. But it’s ok, there’s only a few more days left, I will manage somehow. I hope.