Saint Lazarus Church, Iași, heritage site in Iași County, Romania
Saint Lazarus Church is a church building in Iași located on Dimitrie Gusti Street and serving the Romanian Orthodox community. It has a rectangular layout with a rounded altar wall, a lower foyer, a vestibule listing benefactors, a main nave, and an altar area.
The church was built between 1703 and 1704 under orders from Prince Mihai Racoviță as a wooden structure on a hill near the city's east side. It was rebuilt with brick and stone in 1785 after fire damage and later served as a monastery for Greek monks before closing in the early 1800s.
The church is dedicated to Saint Lazarus of Bethany and Catherine of Alexandria, and these saints shape the local religious life today. Visitors see icons and relics inside, including a piece of the True Cross, which show how Orthodox faith has connected generations here.
The church sits in a quiet part of the city center on slightly elevated ground that makes it stand out among nearby buildings. Access is straightforward, though respectful behavior is appropriate, especially if visiting during prayer times.
During restoration work in 1967, the 1980s, and 2006-2009, hundreds of human skeletons were discovered beneath the church and later reburied, revealing that the site served as a burial ground for centuries. The building also survived multiple fires and earthquakes, being rebuilt several times throughout its long history.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
