Church & monasteryWallachia & Oltenia

Sinaia Monastery: the monastery that gave a town its name

Sinaia Monastery (Mănăstirea Sinaia) stands in the Prahova Valley, in Sinaia, Prahova County, Romania, a short walk from the railway station and close to Peleș Castle. Founded by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino in the 1690s, it is a living Orthodox monastery with two courtyards, two churches and a museum, and it is nicknamed the “Cathedral of the Carpathians”.

The mountain resort of Sinaia owes its name to this monastery, and the monastery owes its name to a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai in Egypt made by its founder.

WhereSinaia, Prahova County, in the Prahova Valley, Romania

TypeOrthodox monastery, founded in the 1690s, with an Old Church and a Great Church

Best forBrâncovenesc architecture, neo-Byzantine mosaics and a museum of religious art

Getting thereSinaia railway station is just below the monastery; it is also reached by road, near Peleș Castle

The history of Sinaia Monastery

The monastery was founded by the great spătar Mihail Cantacuzino, who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with his mother Elena and his sister Stanca. The journey took him to Mount Sinai, where he prayed in Saint Catherine’s Monastery. Moved by what he saw, he decided to build a monastery in the mountains of Wallachia and give it the name of the holy mountain. The first buildings were raised between 1690 and 1695, and the monastery is traditionally dated to 1695. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, Dositheos, referred to it at first as the “Buceagul Monastery”.

From the start the place served two purposes. It was a monastery, planned for twelve monks in imitation of the Twelve Apostles, and also a fortified stronghold on the route from Brașov to Bucharest. In time the community grew beyond twelve. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, the monks buried their valuables inside a bell before leaving, and Ottoman forces burned the area and broke through the wall in two places. Because of its position the monastery suffered several Turkish and Austrian invasions.

In the 19th century the community needed more room. Under the abbots Ioasaf and Paisie, a new courtyard and a larger church dedicated to the Holy Trinity were built between 1842 and 1846. Until about 1850, Sinaia was little more than the monastery and a group of huts. In 1864 the monastic estate passed to the Board of Civil Hospitals, which opened a hospital and baths and helped develop the mineral springs. The Great Church was enlarged and rebuilt in the years around 1900 after plans by the architect George Mandrea, and the neo-Byzantine mosaics were made by the Danish artist Aage Exner. A large bell tower was finished in 1892, and the museum opened in 1895.

The monastery has a special place in the history of the country’s modernisation. Thanks to the efforts of King Carol I, its Great Church became the first church in Romania to use electric lights. In 1948 the monastery came under the Archdiocese of Bucharest, and between 1951 and 1957 Patriarch Justinian Marina had the buildings restored and fitted with running water, electricity and gas. The Old Church was closed in 2006 for a long restoration and has been open again since 2016. Today the monastery remains inhabited by Orthodox monks.

Curiosities about Sinaia Monastery

The town of Sinaia took its name from the monastery, which in turn was named after Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai.
The Old Church portal is carved with Moses holding the Tablets of the Law on one side and Aaron with his flowering staff on the other, with the Cantacuzino double-headed eagle in the middle.
The votive painting in the Old Church shows the founder surrounded by his eighteen children, many of them adopted, and members of the Cantacuzino family.
The Great Church is encircled by a belt of three green enamel lines, said to stand for the Holy Trinity and for the union of the three Romanian lands.
The monastery museum, opened in 1895, was the first exhibition of religious objects in Romania.
The bell of the large bell tower weighs 1,700 kilograms and was brought from the Colțea Tower in Bucharest.

Tours near Sinaia Monastery

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

3-Castle: Peles,Bran,Rasnov,Sinaia Monastery from Brasov w pickup

★ 4.9 (436 reviews) · 8 h

See details ›

From Brașov Bran Castle, Peleș, Cantacuzino and Sinaia

★ 4.8 (76 reviews) · 7 h

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Peles Castle, Bran Castle, Rasnov Fortress and Sinaia Monastery Tour from Brasov

★ 4.9 (67 reviews) · 8 h

See details ›

Peles Castle Skip-The-Line Guided Tour

★ 4.8 (17 reviews) · 1 h

See details ›

Visiting Sinaia Monastery: what to see

Two courtyards, each with its own church: the small Old Church of 1695, in Brâncovenesc style, and the larger Great Church of 1846, with gold mosaic paintings.
In the Old Church, the original paintings by Pârvu Mutu show the founder’s family and, in the porch dome, scenes from the lives of Saint Catherine, Saint George and Saint Demetrius.
The grounds include the tomb of Take Ionescu, a prime minister of Romania, next to the small chapel of 1695.
The museum, with icons and crosses from the 17th century and other precious objects, has its own opening arrangements, so check the current opening hours before you go.
The monastery is close to Peleș Castle and Sinaia railway station, and Cantacuzino Castle is about 7 km away.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Sinaia Monastery is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Sinaia Monastery

Questions

Where is Sinaia Monastery?

It stands in the town of Sinaia in Prahova County, in the Prahova Valley, near Peleș Castle. Sinaia railway station is just below it.

Who founded Sinaia Monastery?

Prince Mihail Cantacuzino, a great spătar, founded it after a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai. The first buildings were completed between 1690 and 1695.

Why is it called Sinaia?

It was named after Saint Catherine’s Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt. The nearby town of Sinaia later took its name from the monastery.

What is there to see at Sinaia Monastery?

Two churches, the Old Church of 1695 and the Great Church of 1846, a museum of religious art, a bell tower and the tomb of Take Ionescu.

What is special about the Great Church?

It was the first church in Romania to use electric lights, thanks to King Carol I, and its interior is covered in neo-Byzantine gold mosaic paintings by the Danish artist Aage Exner.

What can you see near Sinaia Monastery?

Peleș Castle is close by, Cantacuzino Castle is about 7 km away, the Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak about 8 km and Râșnov Citadel about 27 km.