History

Hanul lui Manuc

by Craig Turp July 25, 2011 Bucharest

Few places in Bucharest have a history to match that of Hanul lui Manuc (Manuc’s Inn), the last remaining caravanserai in this part of Europe; recently reopened after a four-year refit. Completed in 1808, it is named for its founder, Manuc Bei, an Armenian merchant and diplomat. – Bought and sold many times throughout [...]

19 comments Read the full article →

Ci-Co; Romania during communism

by Craig Turp July 22, 2009 Bucharest

The Romanian History Museum (MNIR) recently launched a major new website, www.comunismulinromania.ro, the front-end of a project designed to look at the communist period in Romania in a ‘serious, objective way.’ Mainly a photo archive, we liked the communist-era adverts the best. It’s good to know that if Bucharest In Your Pocket had been around [...]

4 comments Read the full article →

Map of Bucharest, 1979

by Craig Turp July 13, 2009 Bucharest

We cleared out the attic and dusted off a few old books at the weekend, including an absolute gem: a tourist guide to the capital written by Dan Berindei and Sebastian Bonifaciu, published in Romanian in 1979. Thankfully lacking the usual homage to Romania’s president at the time which blight so many works of the [...]

6 comments Read the full article →

Bucharest then and now

by Craig Turp April 14, 2009 Bucharest

Browsing through this fine collection of photos featuring Bucharest as it once was, it is striking how similar recently built (recently as in then – we are thinking early 1970s; before the metro was built at least) apartment blocks look to those being built now, all over the capital. Given that the block above now looks like [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

Bucharest 1964: A Thousand Thanks to Alex Galmeanu

by Craig Turp February 21, 2009 Bucharest

Don’t know who Alex Galmeanu is, but he has a blog, and a site, which deserve your urgent attention. If I ever meet him I will shake his hand and buy him a drink: these photos of Bucharest in 1964 are (probably quite literally) priceless. I know not where he got them from (and unless [...]

14 comments Read the full article →

Romania takes a small step towards evolving into a modern society

by Craig Turp February 12, 2009 Romania

Common sense prevails. Evenimentul Zilei splashes this morning with news that Romanian schools will once again be teaching kids about evolution. Three years ago the country’s education ministry took a giant leap back into the Middle Ages and removed all mention of Darwin from school books. Since then children have been taught (often by men [...]