Staryi Orkhei

Staryi Orkhei 

the remains of a medieval fortified town in the Moldavian SSR. It is situated on the right bank of the Reut River between the villages of Trebuzheny and Butucheny in Or-geev Raion. Archaeological excavations conducted between 1947 and 1963 and begun again in 1968 have uncovered cultural layers of two cities.

One of the cities dates from the mid-14th century—the period of the Golden Horde. Ruins of a mosque, mazar, caravansaries, and oriental baths have been studied, as have the remains of dwellings and of the workshops of blacksmiths, potters, and jewelers. The other city is Moldavian. It existed in the 15th and first half of the 16th centuries and was called Staryi Orkhei. Remains that have been unearthed include those of earthen walls, moats, a stone citadel, two churches, dwellings, workshops, and two cemeteries. Staryi Orkhei was a military, administrative, and handicraft center on the eastern border of Moldavia with close economic ties to several centers in Hungary and Bohemia. It was destroyed during the Ottoman invasion in the 16th century.