Old Orhei () is a Moldovan historical and archaeological complex located in Trebujeni, which is approximately north-east of ChiÃÂinÃÂu on the RÃÂut River in the Republic of Moldova.
The ancient city of Orheiul Vechi is a natural and historical complex located on a narrow bend of the RÃÂut 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 a GetoâÂÂDacian fortress (6thâÂÂ1st centuries BC), the Golden Horde fort Shehr al-Jedid or Yangi-Shehr (14th century), a Moldavian fort (14th-16th century), an Orthodox monastery ( 14th century), and the Moldavian town of Orhei from the 14thâÂÂ16th 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 and contain an array of historical artifacts and Old Church Slavonic inscriptions dating from the 1690s, which testify that hajduks took shelter inside them, hiding from the Ottoman authorities.