Faculty of History and Geography

Geography ID

IASI - ECONOMIC CENTRE, CULTURAL AND ACADEMIC OF MOLDAVIA

ENGLISH PROJECT

Student: Veronica Luxiţa Timofte

Year I
My name is Veronica Luxița Timofte, and I'm 32 years old. I live in Grosseto, a small city in Tuscany, Italy. I'm from Iasi. Well, my
parents live there. I moved out a few years ago. I am a smart person, with a strong personality. I am calm, and quiet. I like to hang out
with my friends. I think, I am a funny person, but, in the same time, seriously.I decided to describe the city of my soul, the city of my
childhood, the city of first love, IASI. I currently live in Italy, but I will be back home soon, I hope.

Iasi, Romania’s second largest city after Bucharest in terms of numbers of inhabitants, is considered the economic, cultural and
academic centre of the Moldavian region, which was part of Romaia before it became an independent state in 1991.
Iasi, today a beautiful Romanian city, sits on the banks of the Bahlui River near its confluence with the Prut River, which marks the
boundary between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Iasi has a long cultural tradition with some five universities, including the
oldest in the country, the Alexsandru Joan Cuza University, which dates back to 1860, and it was here that the first Romanian
language school was founded and the first book printed in Moldavia was issued.
 Coat of arms

Nickname(s): The Cultural Capital of Romania, The City of Great Loves, The City of the Famous Destinies, The City of Great Ideas,
The City of the Three Unions, The City on Seven Hills

Location of Iași and its metropolitan area in Iași County

Coordinates:  47°09′25″N 27°35′25″E

 RomaniaCounty

 IașiStatusMunicipiu SettledBefore 14th centuryFirst official record1408Government

 • Mayor (2020–2024)Mihai Chirica (PNL)Area
 • County Seat93.9 km2 (36.3 sq mi) 
• Metro1,159 km2 (447 sq mi)
Elevation 60 m (200 ft)
Population (2011 census)
 • County Seat290,422 
• Estimate (2018) 378,954 
 • Density3,092/km2(8,010/sq mi)
 • Metro500,668
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code700xxx
Area code(s)+40 x32
Car PlatesIS
Climate Dfb
Websitewww.primaria-iasi.ro
THE PALACE OF CULTURE

The Palace of Culture

The symbol of the city is the
majestic Palace of Culture. Built in
flamboyant Gothic Revival style,
the palace has an amazing number
of rooms - some 365, including the
Gothic Room, which displays a
medieval bestiary, the Voivoda
Room, with portraits of the princes
of Moldavia and the kings of
Romania, and the beautiful Central
Tower. Each hour eight bells in the
tower play the ‘Union Dance’ song, which celebrates the creation of the United Principalities of Romania in the mid nineteenth
century.

For over fifty years this extraordinary building has housed the bountiful National Museum Complex of Moldavia, which includes the
History Museum, the Ethnography Museum, the Art Museum and the Museum of Science and Technology. A statue sits in front of the
palace, which depicts Stephen the Great, Moldavia’s best-loved sovereign who lived at the end of the fifteenth century and is
worshipped as a Saint of the Orthodox Church on 2nd July.

THE CHURCHES

Church of the Three Hierarchs

King Stephen, with great devotion, commissioned many places of

worship, the oldest and most famous of which is the Royal Saint
Nicholas Church, built at the end of the fifteenth century, which was
situated near the royal court and served as the Metropolitan Cathedral.
There are approximately 100 orthodox churches in the city. These
include a new Cathedral, built in the nineteenth century in Italian
Renaissance style, which houses the remains of Saint Parascheva, patron saint of Moldavia, and the Church of the Three Hierarchs
(Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Gregory of Nazianzus), built in the seventeenth century with a traditional Moldavian layout in
the form of a clover leaf. This uniquely splendid building has rich oriental decorations of Byzantine inspiration and is known for its
extraordinary stone lacery.

The Great Synagogue of Iasi is the oldest surviving Jewish prayer house in Romania and the second oldest synagogue in Europe. It
was founded in 1670, reportedly at the initiative of Rabbi Nathan ben Moses Hannover, religious leader of Iasi's Jewish community in
the 1660s. Since its foundation in the second half of the 17th century, the Great Synagogue has undergone a number of major
renovations. Although called "the great," the size of the synagogue is actually very modest. Today, the Great Synagogue continues to
serve the Jewish community of Iasi. It has been recognized as a historical monument.
THE COPOU GARDEN

The Copou garden

The Copou Garden was created in
the first half of the nineteenth
century on one of the seven hills
on which Iasi is built, which range
from a height of 40 to 400 metres
above sea level. The largest park in
the country, covering 80 hectares,
it features a very old Romanian
monument, the Obelisk of Lions,
which was built to honour the
European powers that recognised
the independence of the Romanian
principalities.
VASILE ALECSANDRI NATIONAL THEATRE

Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre

The fame of Iasi as a cultural centre is
evident even in its entertainment sites, such
as the spectacular Vasile Alecsandri
National Theatre, dedicated to the great
Romanian poet, writer and politician and
one of the most active promoters of the
theatre. The building, built approximately
100 years ago in Neoclassical style
according to the project of Viennese
architects, has a large auditorium housing
750 people and is furnished with Baroque
and Rococo inspired decorations.
The museum celebrates the history of theatre in Iasi and displays costumes worn by well-known actors, original documents, playbills
and posters.
MALINGA

Traditional foods
The city’s restaurants are very
picturesque and offer traditional dishes
of various origins, including simple but
tasty oriental-inspired dishes made with
an abundant use of spices. Typical
dishes include Ciorba, a soup with
potatoes and carrots, and pieces of
lamb, veal and turkey, Sarmala, minced
me.

So this a small part of my city - Iasi, located in the NE part of Romania.