Nothing compares to the Rupestral monastery of Șinca Veche, a little church carved in stone, still reverberating to the prayer of the old monks, retreating to the forests during historical persecution. A simple, shallow cave, with spectacular rooms – the little church penetrates through an underground tower up to the earth’s surface, to receive light from the sky above. The earliest written data say that the monastery existed in 1700 when the persecution of Orthodox Christians in Transylvania began. Rain, perhaps some earthquakes, eroded the soft rock, and the entrance to the church was hidden from view for a while. Renovating and restoring the cave was a labour of love and took years as part of a cultural project to conserve the local heritage. In a beautiful natural setting, spectacular in itself, with paths of clay and stones crossing a silent beautiful forest, the rupestral paradise of Șinca Veche speaks of past and future, leaving room for the mind to rest, and to the heart support and hope for the future.
In a stunning natural setting, with dirt and stone paths winding through a quiet little forest, two small churches frozen in a stone shepherd’s hut speak of the past and the future, offering the mind a moment of rest, and the heart much support and hope for what lies ahead. With a soul rooted in a “history of villages and priests,” the rock paradise of Șinca Veche is built from ancient prayers, whispered ceaselessly through the centuries, in the clear silence of the earth.
An ancient monastic complex, hidden in a hillside, brings together two Orthodox churches, a bell tower, and two other annexes that served the religious life in these lands between the 14th and 18th centuries. All were carved into the rock by hermit monks who withdrew to the forests during a time of historical persecution. With spectacular chambers carved into a sandy stone groove, the cave churches rise through an underground dome to the surface of the earth, receiving light from above, reminding one of the connection with God and the mutual assistance of fellow beings. From the altar hollowed in sandy stone, to the narrow and dark cells, the steps of the ancient monks still echo, as they walked with their books under the rays of the sun to read the Gospel.
Șinca Veche is a gem with a Romanesque basilical plan, carved and shaped with hammers, with semi-cylindrical vaults arching over the central nave and the narthex. Semi-spherical domes cover the apses. There is also an iconostasis and two doors separating the altar from the nave. The bell tower towers above them, reminding us of the Lord’s descent to us, always near and above all, alike.
The origins of the monastery on Pleșu Hill may date back long before the 18th century, but only thorough archaeological research could establish its true age. The first written records indicate that the monastery existed in 1700, when the persecution of Orthodox Christians in Transylvania began.
A bronze coin further tells the story, speaking about the life of this place long after 1800. The exact date when the two churches were abandoned is still unknown. After a time of sheltering hermits, the buildings on Pleșu Hill were seemingly forgotten for two centuries, left to the care of the heavens from which they draw their essence through a tower. The rains, frost, or perhaps a devastating earthquake shattered the soft rock, blocking the entrances, while nature concealed the site in its paradise, just as it had always done.
After 1990, those who felt its heart still beating in the earth remembered it. Starting in 2005, the two rock-hewn churches were unearthed from massive deposits, true “snowdrifts” of clay, along with the sand eroded from the soft sandstone above the rock ceiling. They were brought to light with patience and love, only through manual excavation, since any mechanical intervention risked causing irreparable damage to such fragile rocks. The team of archaeologists searched for inscriptions related to the origins, functioning, and end of these monuments, or about some “pieces of furniture” mandatory in Orthodox churches, mentioned up to that point only in written sources.
Time has added all its gifts to this place. Separated by winding paths from the ancient churches, on the western slope of Pleșu Hill, is the Chapel of “Saint Nectarios” and a new building of monastic cells at Șinca Veche Monastery, completed in 2006. In recent years, travelers from all over the world have found their souls and hope in the small stone cells or in the worship rooms, all dark, powerful, aging the harshness of the times. Even if only for a moment, they may have understood the meaning of life or the history of Transylvanian Romanians, carved forever in stone.
Șinca Veche. It tells stories of the simple fight, without the weapons of cunning or worldly power, for the defense of tradition, soul, and faith. Hidden in the generous heart of nature, it is a delicate and enduring universe, to be explored with the senses, the mind, but most of all, with the soul.
