The Roman Catholic Church in Turda

  The Turda Synagogue was a Mozaic Orthodox (unreformed) place of worship located in the city of Turda (Cluj county), located at 24-28 Mihai Eminescu street. It was built between 1921-1926. Currently, due to lack of worshippers, it is non-functional. Building The synagogue is a distinctive building in the city, built in an eclectic style with some Moorish elements. The walls are made of plastered brick. The southern and northern facades are identical, each with 2 lions in bas-relief, the lion symbolizing the tribe of Judah. The hall was naturally lit through numerous windows on the ground floor and on the upper floor. The entrance was on the west facade, with the building oriented from west to east, with the apse, where the Holy Ark (Covenant Ark) was located, facing east. A black plaque with biblical commandments (Tablets of the Law) was displayed above the cornice with the Ark. The space around the Ark, slightly raised, was separated from the hall by a large semicircular arch. The bima, or the podium from which the Torah was read, was located in front of the Ark (you can still see traces of the posts today). Stairs led to the women's galleries on the upper floor.  The synagogue was built between 1921-1926, in place of an old prayer house. In 1946, the auxiliary buildings of the synagogue housed the parish and the rabbi's residence, the community office, the servant's dwelling, and the night shelter for the poor. The slaughterhouse and butcher shop were located behind the synagogue. An even older prayer house, of which no trace remains, was located where today the city hall is located at 28 December 1st Square. The Jews of Turda mainly belonged to the Orthodox Mosaic current, with very few belonging to the Neolog Reform current (unlike the Jews of Cluj). Mihai Eminescu Street was the old nucleus of the Jewish neighborhood of the city. The Jewish population numbered 175 people (48 families) in 1866; 203 people (2.1% of the city's total population) in 1870; 326 people (3.5%) in 1900; 482 people (3.5%) in 1910; 852 people (4.2%) in 1930 and 726 people (2.2%) in 1940. The number of people increased to 1805 in 1942 after Jews from surrounding areas were concentrated in Turda. After World War II, the community continued its activity, but its institutions lost their importance as the Jewish population declined as a result of emigration to Israel and other parts. Approximately 150 Jews still lived in Turda in 1971. The community was led by rabbis, including Ben-Zion Albert Wesel (1900-1938) and Joseph Adler (1938-44). These two played a leading role among the Orthodox Jews of Transylvania. The Synagogue (Beit Kneset) was the gathering place (beginning on Friday evening, after 6 PM, which marked the start of the Sabbath[1]) of Jewish faithful for the performance of prayers and the loud reading of sacred scrolls called Torá. The benches in the synagogue were arranged so that the faithful faced Jerusalem. Only men sat on these benches. The wall facing Jerusalem had the Holy Ark and the pulpit. In the center of the synagogue was a stage with a table, on which the sacred scrolls (Torá) were spread out. Behind the benches was a gallery for women, as in synagogues women always sit separate from men. The last mosaic service was held here in 1986 (at least 10 men are needed to hold religious services in synagogues). Currently, only a few Jews live in Turda (at most 10 people). The synagogue is currently empty and abandoned, the interior benches were sold in 2000. The exterior walls are currently well preserved. In the list of synagogues in Romania published in the work "Seventy years of existence. Six hundred years of Jewish life in Romania. Forty years of partnership FEDROM – JOINT," edited by the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania in 2008, it was stated that the Synagogue in Turda was no longer in use. [2]

  The Mihai Voda Monastery in Turda is becoming an increasingly important pilgrimage site for Christians from all over the country, who come to both worship the monastic settlement guarded by the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and to commemorate the great voivode Mihai the Brave, whose death took place on the Turda plain in 1601. Almost 40 years ago, a monument was erected in honor of Mihai the Brave, where every year military and religious officials conduct the Parastas for his soul. Starting in 2016, the year when the 415th anniversary of Mihai the Brave's death was celebrated, the celebration at the Mihai Voda Monastery was moved to the new Gregorian calendar, which is used in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Thus, while we used to commemorate the voivode's death on August 9th, now it is commemorated on August 19th, according to the new calendar. 

  The Orthodox Cathedral in Turda (with the patron saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel) is located on Andrei Saguna Street No. 2, with the main entrance facing December 1, 1918 Square. History It was built in memory of the great Voivode Michael the Brave by the General Enterprises "Tiberiu Eremia", based on the plans of architect Ioan Traianescu. The work was also made possible by donations from the Aries Bank, the Orthodox Women's Society, various businesses, and private individuals. The architecture is a blend of the styles characteristic of the three historical Romanian provinces. The plan is in the traditional cross shape. The cathedral was consecrated on November 3, 1935 by Bishop Lucian Triteanu of Roman. In 1955, it was declared an architectural monument, one of the architectural gems of the city. The building was constructed as a cathedral, with a capacity of 1,200 people and is located in the center of the city. The land on which the cathedral was built was purchased from the Turda City Hall represented by Mayor Iuliu Gențiu, according to the attached purchase-sale agreement (see "External links: Purchase-sale agreement land"). The cathedral's history includes the name of the founder, Protopop Iovian Mureșan, who served as the shepherd for 38 years under whose leadership the cathedral was built, painted and consecrated. His remains are honored under the altar. The cornerstone was laid in 1926, and the work was completed in 1935. A characteristic of this building is the bell tower. It has an Oltenian saddle shape and resembles the one at the Orthodox Cathedral in Alba Iulia. The icons of the iconostasis were painted by the painter Paul Molda (1884-1955), and the interior of the building by Gheorghe Belizarie. The furniture, iconostasis, pulpit, archbishop's thrones, stands, tetrapods, chairs, were made by Professor Aurel Pop from Tg. Mures, ornamented with sculpted grapevines, stylized angels and acanthus leaves.    One unique thing is the presence in the Cathedral of an icon of the Virgin Mary with the Baby, to which the faithful pray. The icon was brought from Bucharest at the beginning of the 20th century and carried in procession through the city, by oxen. Some testimonies claim that this icon is quickly useful to women who cannot become pregnant. It is also worth mentioning the presence of an icon with the face of the Savior, which has on the reverse the inscription: "Donated by a family from Basarabia, torn from the bosom of the fatherland. Pray for them!". Due to time, war, smoke from candles, the entire ensemble required restoration. In 1986, the interior was restored by a team led by the painter Dimitrie Banica from Bucharest. Later, the exterior was also restored. On the left side of the cathedral entrance, there is a painting of King Carol II in the uniform of a mountain hunter general, with the mantle of the "Order of Michael the Brave". The painting was revealed during the restoration work. On an exterior wall of the cathedral, a projectile from the 30s is embedded. The projectile is deactivated, harmless, but nobody knows why it was built there, in the wall of a house of worship. 

  The Unitarian Church of Turda (in Hungarian, A Tordai unitárius templom) is a historic and architectural monument located in the city of Turda. History The buildings at 1 Dacia Street (formerly the Unitarian Gymnasium) and 3 Dacia Street (the Unitarian Church) used to form a harmonious architectural complex. Initially, in 1589, the Unitarian School was built on this site, during the birth of Unitarianism. In 1568, the Unitarians took over the Roman Catholic Church at 54 Republic Square, but they were forced to return it to the Roman Catholic cult in 1721. After 1721, the Turda Unitarians temporarily used a wing of the Unitarian School at 1 Dacia Street as a place of worship until 1784, when construction of the current Unitarian Church began (1784-1797), parallel to the reconstruction of the Unitarian School and the Unitarian Gymnasium. The church was built by the master mason Janos Sandor from Moldovenești (Varfalău) in Cluj County. The interior of the church was finished in 1797. The church was built on the site of an old Unitarian School. Part of the school building was demolished in 1801 to make way for the church tower, built between 1801-1809. On the wall of the church annex building (where the Unitarian Gymnasium used to be located), there is a quadratic plaque with the Latin inscription: MUSIS ET VIRTUTIBUS SACRUM MDCCCLXV (Sacred to the Muses and Virtues 1865). The church was repaired in 1828, 1890, 1903 and 1946. It was renovated to a greater extent in 1903, according to the plans of architect Lajos Pakey. The Turda local councilor Iosif Pataki managed in the 80-90s of the 20th century to impress with his wooden sculptures. His most important achievement was the decoration of the interior and courtyard of the Turda Unitarian Church with fine wooden objects. Since 1984, when the decoration of the church began, Iosif Pataki has created over 60 wooden works, from candelabra to paneling and artisanal tables. One of his most important achievements is the dome of the pulpit, which has the Unitarians' credo inscribed on the frontispiece: Egy az Isten - Unul este Dumnezeu - Unus est Deus – God is One. 

  Right near the Turda Salt Mine, the Church of the Salt Cutters majestically raises its towers. It is also called the Church of the Salt Cutters, because its name comes from the Hungarian language, "só" meaning salt and "vágó" meaning cutter, being from the beginning the place of prayer of the miners from the Turda Salt Mine. The story dates back to 1467, when King Matei Corvin crushed a plot of the nobles from Cluj and Turda and it is said that he appointed Miklos Olah, his Romanian-related uncle, as prefect of the Salt Mines in Transylvania, with headquarters in Turda. He allowed the Orthodox Romanians from the Turda Salt Mine to build their own church, near the Salt Mine, under the condition that they work in the salt mines. The Church of the Salt Cutters, built of wood, was erected on the salt mine land. After 1700, the church became the seat of the Greek-Catholic confession and the protopope of Turda. A few years later, in 1709, it was rebuilt by the Greek-Catholics. 200 years later, in 1948, the church was confiscated and given to the Romanian Orthodox Church, which renovated it in the Byzantine style  

  The Franciscan Roman Catholic Church (in Hungarian "Ferences kolostor") in Turda, at 49 Avram Iancu street, was built between 1735-1737 by Franciscan Observant friars, as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The church's main worship is "St. King Ladislaus" (in Hungarian "Szent László király"). Next to the church is an old Roman Catholic monastery (currently non-functional), built between 1540-1550. History: After the integration of Transylvania Principality into the Habsburg Empire through the Peace of Karlowitz (1699), the imperial policy of the Vienna Court aimed to facilitate the return of Roman Catholic orders expelled from the Transylvanian cities that have adopted Protestant Reform. This was intended to strengthen the Roman Catholic religion to ensure a link between the different countries of the House of Habsburg. The establishment of Franciscan friars in Turda was supported by Roman Catholic believers in the Turda New neighborhood. In 1735, they bought the Gyárfás estate on the Cluj road from the Gergelyffy József and Kovács Zsuzsanna couples, on which they built the St. Ladislaus church. This ensured the definitive establishment of the Franciscan friars in this part of the city. In 1951, the friars were deported to Communist labor camps. The last member of the order, Father Izidor, took care of the building until his death in 1994. In front of the church is a crucifix from 1895. On the base of the crucifix is inscribed "Facta est 1895" (“Made in the year 1895”). 

  The Reformed Calvinist Church in Turda, Poiana neighborhood, built in the 15th century, is listed on the historic monuments list of Cluj county, compiled by the Ministry of Culture of Romania in 2015 (LMI CJ-II-m-B-07790 code). The church was probably built in the 15th century. Only the tower, the entrance on the western side and the stone grating from the windows have survived from the original medieval inventory. The spire and the nave roof are newer. On the southern wall there are four arched windows from the 19th century. The text "RENOVATED 1789" is inscribed on a stone vault, the year the church was renovated. The interior was redone in 1997, when the faithful gave up their old furniture. Only the crown of the pulpit and the organ are original. During the restoration works, the old frescoes, even the coffered ceiling, disappeared. 

 The Reformed-Calvinist Church in Turda Noua was built between 1500-1504, on the site of an earlier church built between 1311-1340. It is listed as a historical monument in the county of Cluj by the Romanian Ministry of Culture in 2015. There was already a Romano-Catholic church on the site in 1179, but it was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241. According to tradition, the Romano-Catholic church was rebuilt by King Carol Robert of Hungary in honor of St. Ladislau in the early Gothic style. The early Gothic style was modified to the late Gothic style during the 1504 restoration, which can still be seen today.  The sanctuary and sacristy are in the late Gothic style, while the consoles are in the Empire style and the bell tower is in the Baroque style. The church was built by the same team of builders who worked on the Romano-Catholic Church in Turda Veche. The church is a hall-type church with a polygonal altar, a sacristy, a porch, and a bell tower. The north and south facades, and the choir, are supported by massive buttresses. The church is plain and lacks decorative elements. The main entrance is on the south side, under a semi-cylindrical vault supported by a double arch. The windows have simple frames without decoration.    In the 15th century, a fortified wall of elliptical shape was built around the church, 4-5 m high, with 6 semi-circular bastions and a square bastion (the square bastion was also the residence of the bell ringer). The wall was reinforced with buttresses at 4-5 m intervals. Only one of the semi-circular bastions remains today ("The Parcalab Tower"), inscribed with the year 1870. The square bastion, which serves as the entrance to the courtyard ("The Entrance Tower"), has also been preserved. In the northwest wall, the remains of a portal in a broken arch can be seen, and next to it the inscription: RENOVATUM ANNO 1740 TEMPORE CURATORIS KOMIVES. In the 16th century, the church changed from Roman Catholic to Reformed-Calvinist worship. The church suffered damage during the military conflicts of 1600-1601. In the 18th century, the main ship of the church was restored in the Baroque style with stuccos. The church's exterior was renovated in the years 1969-1972. Bilingual plaque On the southern façade of the church, a plaque with a bilingual text (in Latin and Hungarian) is embedded. The Latin text and its Romanian translation: Pax facet divitias (Peace brings prosperity) Divitiae superbiam (Prosperity brings pride) Superbia contemptum (Pride brings contempt) Contemptus bellum (Contempt brings war) Bellum paupertatem (War brings poverty) Paupertas humilitatem (Poverty brings humility) Humilitas pacem (Humility brings peace)