One of the things Moldova is known for (besides wine and sunflowers) are it's cave monasteries (Moldova is 98% Orthodox Christian). Some fellow PCVs and i went to Țipova mănăstire, which is the biggest one in Moldova and Eastern Europe. Below is a picture of the biserică (church) located above the monastery.
Below is inside the biserică. This is the 2nd biserică i've been in, and the other one was just as ornate as this one...and standing room only...no chairs or benches.
After going inside the above biserică, we went below to the cave monastery. It is said to have been built...or carved...or whatever in the 6th century BC. It wasn't in use for a long time (i don't know how long) and was reopened in 1756. It was destroyed during the Soviet era. In 1975 it was protected by the state and in 1994, monastic life there began again to this day. We even had a priest as our tour guide!
The monastery overlooks the Nistru River, which borders Ukraine.
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