Orheiul Vechi

Old Orhei (Romanian: Orheiul Vechi) is a Moldovan historical and archaeological complex located in
Trebujeni, which is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) north-east of Chişinău on the Răut River in the
Republic of Moldova.

History
The ancient city of Orheiul Vechi is a natural and historical complex, located in a narrow bend of the
Raut River. The natural landscape of limestone rock, eroded by the river, is combined with
archaeological vestiges of the ancient Trypillian civilization. As a result of archaeological excavations,
cultural layers were discovered from different epochs, such as the Paleolithic, Eneolithic, and Iron Age.

Old Orhei contains traces of different civilizations, including the remnants of earthen and wooden
fortresses of Geto-Dacian fortress (6th-1st centuries B.C.), the Golden Horde fort Shehr al-Jedid (or
Yangi-Shehr) (14th century), a 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.