Bucovina Monasteries - 2

 From Agapia we drive 75 kms up to Gura

Humurului, in other words the town on the river Humor; the Monastery at Humor is the first we visit in this area; it has the most impressive interior frescoes. Founded in 1530 by Petru Rarec. On the porch is a painting of the last judgement.

There is a badly faded picture of the 1453 siege of Constantinople (Istanbul), with the parable of the return of the prodigal son next to it. It is so interesting to see that all those paintings were meant, like the ones in the churches in Ethiopia and the mural we saw in China, to educate the -illiterate -people. We also see St Michael, almost as often as in Ethiopia, but here are also typical Moldavian influences, like the patterned towel on the chair of judgment. 

Through the mountains along the railroad we drive 40 kms to the next Monastery, Moldovita. This consists of a fortified quadrangular enclosure with towers and gates. on the church's southern wall we find a depiction of the battle of constantinople AD 626 against the Persians dressed as Turks.