Iasi
Encyclopedia
Iași is the second most populous city (according to the 2002 census) and a municipality in Romania
. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities
from 1859 to 1862 and the capital of Romania
from 1916 to 1918.
Known as The Cultural Capital of Romania, Iași is a symbol in Romanian history. The historian Nicolae Iorga
said "There should be no Romanian who does not know of it".
Still referred to as The Moldavian Capital, Iași is the seat of Iași County
and the main economic centre of the Romanian region of Moldavia. Home to the first Romanian university and to the first engineering school
, it is the second largest university centre in the country and accommodates over 75,000 students in 5 public and 7 private universities. The social and cultural life revolves around the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater
(the oldest in Romania), the Moldova State Philharmonic, the Opera House
, the Tătărași Athenaeum, a famous Botanical Garden (the oldest and largest in Romania), the Central University Library
(the oldest in Romania), the high quality cultural centres and festivals, an array of museums, memorial houses, religious and historical monuments.
(Although in most languages the final i is pronounced, in Romanian, however, the i is silent.)
Scholars have different theories on the origin of the name "Iași". Some argue that the name originates with the Sarmatian
tribe Iazyges
(of Iranian origin; possibly connected to the Yaz culture
of Eastern Iran), one mentioned by Ovid
as "Ipse vides onerata ferox ut ducata Iasyx/ Per media Istri plaustra bubulcus aquas" and "Iazyges et Colchi Metereaque turba Getaque/ Danubii mediis vix prohibentur aquis".
A now lost inscription on a Roman
milestone found near Osijek
, Croatia
by Matija Petar Katančić
in the 18th century, mentions the existence of a Jassiorum municipium, or Municipium Dacorum-Iassiorum from other sources.
Another explanation is that the name originated from the Iranian Alanic
tribe of Jassi
. The Hungarian name of the city (Jászvásár) literally means "Jassic Market"; the antiquated Romanian name, Târgul Ieșilor (and the once-favoured Iașii), may indicate the same meaning.
Oral sources say that the name may come from an archaic form of the Romanian word "to exit" because the city was an important trade node in the region.
archaeological culture
.
to the Polish merchants of Lvov
in 1408. However, as buildings older than 1408 existed and still exist (for example the Armenian Church originally believed to be built in 1395), it is believed that the city existed long before its first mentioning.
moved the Moldavian capital from Suceava
to Iași. Between 1561 and 1563, a school and a Lutheran
church were founded by the Greek
adventurer Prince, Ioan Iacob Heraclid
.
In 1640, Vasile Lupu
established the first school in which the mother-tongue replaced Greek, and set up a printing press in the Byzantine
Trei Ierarhi Church (Church of the Three Hierarchs
; built 1635–39). In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia
was issued in Iași.
The city was burned down by the Tatars
in 1513, by the Ottomans
in 1538, by the Imperial Russian troops in 1686. In 1734, it was hit by the plague
.
Through the Peace of Iași, the sixth Russo-Turkish War was brought to a close in 1792. A Greek revolutionary maneuver and occupation under Alexander Ypsilanti (Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης) and the Filiki Eteria
(Φιλική Εταιρία) (1821, at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence
) led to the storming of the city by the Turks in 1822. In 1844 there was a severe conflagration.
were de-facto capitals of the United Principalities
of Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1862, when the union of the two principalities was recognized under the name of Romania, the national capital was established in Bucharest. For the loss caused to the city in 1861 by the removal of the seat of government to Bucharest the constituent assembly
voted 148,150 lei
to be paid in ten annual instalments, but no payment was ever made.
During World War I
, Iași was the capital of a severely reduced Romania for two years, following the Central Powers
' occupation of Bucharest on 6 December 1916. The capital was returned to Bucharest after the defeat of Imperial Germany and its allies in November 1918. In November–December 1918 Iași hosted the Jassy Conference
.
from the late 16th century. The oldest tomb inscription in the local cemetery probably dates to 1610. By mid-19th century, owing to widespread Russian Jewish
and Galician Jewish
immigration
into Moldavia, the city was at least one-third Jewish.
In 1855, Iași was the home of the first-ever Yiddish-language newspaper, Korot Haitim, and, in 1876, the site of what was arguably the first-ever professional Yiddish theater performance, established by Avraham Goldfaden
. The words of HaTikvah
, the national anthem of Israel
, were written in Iași by Naphtali Herz Imber. Jewish musicians in Iași played an important role as preservers of Yiddish folklore, as performers and composers.
According to the 1930 census, with a population of 34,662 (some 34%) out of the total of 102,872, Jews were the second largest ethnic group in Iași. There were over 127 synagogue
s.
After World War II
, in 1947, there were about 38,000 Jews living in Iași. During the Postbellum period, Iași played a prominent part in the revival of Yiddish culture in Romania, and, from 1949 to 1963, it was home to a second company of the State Jewish Theater
. The intellectuals of Iași included many Jewish academics, scientists, writers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. However, the number of Jews continued to drop because of massive emigration to Israel and, in 1975, there were about 3,000 Jews living in Iași and four synagogues were active.
Today, Iași has a dwindling Jewish population of ca. 300 to 600 members and two working synagogues, one of which, the 1671 Great Synagogue
, is the oldest surviving synagogue
in Romania. Outside of the city on top of a hill there is a large Jewish Cemetery which has graves dating from the late 19th century; burial records date from 1915 to the present day and are kept in the community center. Since 1996, an annual publication on the history of the Jews in Romania, Studia et acta historiae Iudaeorum Romaniae, has been published by the local history and archeology institutes of the Romanian Academy
. There is also a Jewish community center serving kosher
meals from a small cantina.
remained generally unknown to the Allied Powers
, the Iași pogrom
stood as one of the known examples of Axis
brutality toward the Jews.
The pogrom lasted from 29 June to 6 July 1941, and over 13,266 people, or one third of the Jewish population, were massacred in the pogrom itself or in its aftermath, and many were deported. The pogrom began as a diversionary tactic. Due to its proximity to the Soviet border, the city's Jewish population was accused of aiding the Bolsheviks, and rumors were promoted among the general population that the Jews were anti-Romanian. The pretext for the pogrom included a minor Soviet air attack on the city on 26 June 1941, two days after Romanian and German forces attacked the Soviet Union.
After a second air attack two days later, the 14th Infantry Division, led by General Stavrescu declared its mission of eradicating "those who are aiding the enemy". In a telegram, Stavrescu wrote that the Russian aviators "had accomplices among the Judeo-communist suspects of Iași." Under express orders from military dictator and German ally Ion Antonescu
, the city was to be "cleansed" of its Jewish population. Orders also specified that Section Two of the General Headquarters of the Romanian Army and the Special Intelligence Service (SIS) of Romania were to spread rumors of Jewish treachery in the press, including ones that Jews were guiding Soviet military aircraft by placing lights in their houses' chimneys.
A systematic massacre by the Iași police, Romanian and German soldiers, and a portion of the citizens of Iași followed and at least 8,000 Jews were killed; more than 5,000 Jews were loaded onto overcrowded, sealed "death trains" that drove slowly back and forth across the country in the hot summer weather until most of their passengers were killed by hyperthermia
, thirst, or infection and bleeding.
Six Romanians of Iași are credited with saving around one hundred Jews (see Righteous Among the Nations
).
In May 1944, Iași became the scene of ferocious fighting between Romanian-German
forces and the advancing Soviet
Red Army
and the city was partially destroyed. The elite German Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland won an impressive defensive victory at the Battle of Târgul Frumos
, a location near Iași. The battle was the object of several NATO studies during the Cold War
. By 20 August, Iași had been taken by Soviet forces.
) and the Jijia Plain
, Iași used to be the crossroads place of the commercial routes that passed through Moldavia coming from Kingdom of Poland, Habsburg Monarchy
, Tsardom of Russia
and Constantinople
.
The city lies on the Bahlui River, a tributary of the Jijia (tributary of the Prut). The surrounding country is one of uplands and woods, featuring the monasteries of Bârnova
, Bucium
, Cetățuia
, Frumoasa
, Galata
(with nearby Nicolina mineral springs), Hlincea
, and the dendrologic
park of Repedea. Iași itself stands amid vineyards and gardens, partly on hills, partly in the in-between valley.
It is a common belief that Iași is built on seven hills
(coline in Romanian): Cetățuia, Galata, Copou-Aurora, Bucium-Păun, Șorogari, Repedea and Breazu, thus triggering comparisons with Rome
.
climate (Köppen climate classification
"Dfb" — summer wetter than winter, European subtype) with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 32 °C (90 °F) while winters are cold and windy with moderate snowfall and temperatures at night sometimes dropping below -10 °C. Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 25 mm (1 in) in October to 100 mm (4 in) in June.
, part of the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site
, or the neo-Gothic Palace of Culture
, built on the old ruins of the mediaeval Princely Court of Moldavia.
During World War II
and the Communist regime
many historical buildings in the old city center (around Union Square area) were destroyed or demolished, and replaced by International style
buildings and also a new mainly Mid-Century modern
style Civic Centre was built around the Old Market Square (The Central Hall).
Other buildings include:
Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina
, and of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Iași
. There are currently almost 10,000 Roman Catholics living in Iași. There is a debate between historians as to whether the Catholics are originally of Romanian or Hungarian descent.
The city and area house more than 10 monasteries and 100 historical churches. One of the oldest is Princely Saint Nicholas (1491), dating from the reign of Stephen the Great and the largest in Romania is the Metropolitan Cathedral
; perhaps the finest, however, is the 17th century old metropolitan church, Trei Ierarhi
, an example of Byzantine art, erected in 1635–1639 by Vasile Lupu, and adorned with countless gilded carvings on its outer walls and twin towers. Other examples of beautiful churches and monasteries, some surrounded by big walls, are: Socola
(1562), Galata
(1582), Saint Sava (1583), Hlincea
(1587), Aroneanu (1594), Bârnova
(1603), Barnovschi (1627), Golia
(1650), Cetățuia
(1668), Frumoasa
(1726), Saint Spiridon (1747), Old Metropolitan Cathedral (1761), Bărboi
(1843 with 18th century bell tower), Bucium
(1853).
Begun in 1833, at the time when Iași was the capital of Moldavia
, by Prince Mihail Sturdza
and under the plans of Gheorghe Asachi and Mihail Singurov, Copou Park
was integrated into the city and marks one of the first Romanian coordinated public parks. The oldest monument in Romania stands in the middle of the park, the Obelisk of Lions (1834), a 13.5 m (44.29 ft) tall obelisk
, dedicated to the Law of Organic Rules
, the first law on political, administrative and juridical organization in Romanian Principalities.
Founded in 1856, the Botanical Garden of Iași
, the first botanical garden in Romania, has an area of over 100 hectares, and more than 10,000 species of plants.
Iași Exhibition Park
was opened in 1923 and built under the coordination of the architect N. Ghica Budești
.
The Ciric Park, located in the north-eastern part of Iași is another complex which consists into the park and four lakes.
, Miron Costin
and later Ion Neculce
, wrote most of their works in the city or not far from it and the famous scholar Dimitrie Cantemir
known throughout all Europe also linked his name to the capital of Moldavia.
The first newspaper in Romanian language was published in 1829 in Iași and it is in Iași where, in 1867, appeared under literary society Junimea
, the Convorbiri literare review in which Ion Creangă
’s Childhood Memories
and the best poems by Mihai Eminescu
were published. The reviews Contemporanul
and Viața Românească
appeared in 1871, respectively in 1906 with great contributions to promoting Romanian national cultural values.
Many great personalities of Romanian culture are connected to Iași: the chronicler Nicolae Milescu
, the historians and politics men Mihail Kogălniceanu
or Simion Bărnuțiu
, the poets Vasile Alecsandri
or George Topârceanu, the writers Mihail Sadoveanu
, Alecu Russo
, or Ionel Teodoreanu
, the literary critic Titu Maiorescu
, the historian A.D. Xenopol, the philosophers Vasile Conta
or Petre Andrei, the sociologist Dimitrie Gusti
, the geographer Emil Racoviță
, the painter Octav Băncilă
, only to name a few.
, opened in 1840, is the oldest National Theatre in Romania. The building, designed according to the plans of the Viennese architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner
, was raised between 1894 and 1896, and also hosts, starting 1956, the Iași Romanian National Opera
.
Iași is also home to:
Iași is home to many museums, memorial houses, art galleries.
First Memorial House from Romania opened in Iași in 1918 as Ion Creangă
Memorial House, and today the Iași Romanian Literature Museum owns twelve memorial houses.
The Mihai Eminescu
Museum is situated in Copou Park
and it is dedicated to the great poet’s life and creation. Other museums are dedicated to: Dosoftei
, Mihail Kogălniceanu
, Vasile Pogor
, Nicolae Gane, Petru Poni, Mihai Codreanu, Mihail Sadoveanu
, George Topîrceanu
, Otilia Cazimir, Radu Cernătescu.
The Theatre Museum, opened in 1976, at the celebration of 160 years since the first theatrical performance in Romanian, illustrates the development of the theatrical phenomenon since the beginning, important moments of the history of Iași National Theatre, the foundation, in 1840, of the Philharmonic-dramatic Conservatoire, prestigious figures that have contributed to the development of the Romanian theatre.
The Union Museum, includes original pieces and documents which belonged to prince Al. I. Cuza and his family.
The Natural History Museum, founded on 4 February 1834, is the first museum of this kind in Romania with over 300,000 items, the most valuable being the collections of insects, mollusk, amphibians, reptiles, birds, plants and minerals.
Four other museums are located in the Palace of Culture
, The Art Museum has the largest art collection in Romania, with more than 8,000 paintings, out of which 1,000 belong to the national and universal patrimony, The Moldavia's History Museum, offers more than 35,000 objects from various fields, archaeology, numismatics, decorative art, ancient books, documents, The Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia owns more than 11,000 objects depicting the Romanian advance through the ages and The Science and Technology Museum with five distinct sections and one memorial house.
, German
, British
, Latin America
n & Caribbean
and Hellenic
.
is an international biennial of contemporary art organized in Iași, Romania by the Vector Association. Eight editions have taken place thus far.
The most important sectors are related to health care, education, manufacturing, research, culture, government and tourism. It is active in automotive, pharmaceutical industry, metallurgical production, textiles and clothing, constructions, banking, wine, preserved meat.
The city is an important IT
sector centre, with software companies and two universities that provide high quality graduate engineers.
Iași is also a well-developed commercial city with many shopping malls and commercial centres.
Sources:
According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 109,357 housing units and 320,888 people living within the city of Iași, making it the second most populous city in Romania. Additionally there are 60,000 more residents (mostly students) and thousands of daily commuters.
Of this population, 98.5% are ethnic Romanians
, while 0.59% are ethnic Roma, 0.13% Jews
, 0.13% Greeks
, 0.13% Lipovans
, 0.08% Hungarians, 0.05% Germans
and 0.39% others.
In terms of religion, 92.5% of the population are Christian Orthodox
, 4.9% Roman Catholic, other religious groups 2.6%.
As of 2010, 309,631 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.
Iași Metropolitan Area
has a combined estimated population of 400,347, an area of 808 km² and includes the municipality of Iași and 13 other nearby communities.
(1640) founded by Prince Vasile Lupu
as a "higher school for Latin and Slavonic languages", followed by the Princely Academy in 1707.
The first high education structure in Romanian language
was established in the autumn of 1813, when engineer Gheorghe Asachi
laid the foundations of a class of engineers, its activities taking place within the Greek
Princely Academy.
After 1813, other moments marked the development of higher education in Romanian language, regarding both humanities
and the technical science. In 1835, Academia Mihăileană
founded by Prince Mihail Sturdza
is considered first Romanian superior institute in the country.
In 1860, three faculties part of the Academia Mihăileană formed the nucleus for the newly-established University of Iași, the first Romanian university.
The Physicians and Naturalists Society, founded in Iași, has existed since the early part of the 19th century, and a number of periodicals are published. One of the oldest medical universities in Romania, founded in 1879, is in Iași. It is now known as the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
In 1937, the two applied science
sections of the University of Iași became departments of the newly created Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic School
. In the period before and after World War II
, the later (renamed Polytechnic Institute in 1948) extended its domain of activity, especially in the field of engineering, and became adopted a Technical University in 1993.
Public universities include:
Besides the universities, there are schools of art and music.
The Central University Library of Iași
, where the chief records of Romanian history are preserved, is the oldest and the second largest in Romania.
railway was opened on , Iași-Ungheni
on 1 August 1874 and Iași-Chișinău
railway was opened on 1 June 1875 by the Russian Empire
in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878).
Nowadays, three train stations, Great Railway Station
, Nicolina International Rail Station and Socola Rail Station serve the city and are operated by Romanian Railways
(CFR). Moldovan railway
also serves these stations for travel into Moldova
.
The Great Railway Station, located about 1 km to the city centre, provides direct rail connections to all the major Romanian cities and to Chișinău
. The rail stations are very well connected to all the parts of the city by the tram
s and bus
es of the local public transport companies.
Iași is served by the Iași International Airport
(IAS) located 8 km east of the city centre. The airport has nonstop flights to and from Bucharest
, Timișoara
and Vienna
.
with Bucharest
through a four lane express road, by European route E58
with Central Europe and Chişinău
in Moldova
, and by DN National Roads with all major cities of Romania. It is also planned an East–West freeway connection to A3 Transylvania Motorway
.
The Iași Coach Station is used by several private transport companies to provide coach
connections from Iași to a large number of locations from all over the country.
, and Unistil, a private company, provide public transit within the Iași city and operate an extensive network using 150 tram
s (electric trams began operating in Iași in 1900) and 150 bus
es. In the first 3 months of 2007, RATP carried 11,365,819 passengers, an average of 128,000 passengers per day.
with:
Honorary Consulates:
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities
United Principalities
The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, also known as the Romanian Principalities, was the official name of Romania following the 1859 election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince or domnitor of both territories...
from 1859 to 1862 and the capital of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
from 1916 to 1918.
Known as The Cultural Capital of Romania, Iași is a symbol in Romanian history. The historian Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
said "There should be no Romanian who does not know of it".
Still referred to as The Moldavian Capital, Iași is the seat of Iași County
Iasi County
Iași is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași.-Demographics:As of 1 July 2007, Iași County had a population of 825,100, making it the second most populous county in Romania after Bucharest, with a population density of 150/km².*Romanians - 98.1%*Roma -...
and the main economic centre of the Romanian region of Moldavia. Home to the first Romanian university and to the first engineering school
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi
The Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. It has the oldest tradition in Romania in engineering education and is second ranked among the technical institutions of higher education, and the fifth among all universities in Romania, in the national...
, it is the second largest university centre in the country and accommodates over 75,000 students in 5 public and 7 private universities. The social and cultural life revolves around the Vasile Alecsandri National Theater
Iaşi National Theatre
The Iaşi National Theatre in Iaşi, Romania, is the oldest national theatre and one of the most prestigious theatrical institutions in Romania...
(the oldest in Romania), the Moldova State Philharmonic, the Opera House
Iaşi Romanian National Opera
Iaşi Romanian National Opera is a public opera house and ballet company institution in Iaşi, Romania.The first performance at Iaşi Opera was on November 3, 1956 Iaşi Romanian National Opera is a public opera house and ballet company institution in Iaşi, Romania.The first performance at Iaşi Opera...
, the Tătărași Athenaeum, a famous Botanical Garden (the oldest and largest in Romania), the Central University Library
Central University Library of Iasi
The Mihai Eminescu Central University Library of Iaşi serves the University of Iaşi in Romania.The library was established on 8 November 1839 and opened on 23 November 1841, carrying on the tradition of the activity and fame of the old library of Academia Vasiliană, founded in 1640...
(the oldest in Romania), the high quality cultural centres and festivals, an array of museums, memorial houses, religious and historical monuments.
Etymology and names
The city is historically referred to as:- GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, PolishPolish languagePolish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Jassy
(Although in most languages the final i is pronounced, in Romanian, however, the i is silent.)
Scholars have different theories on the origin of the name "Iași". Some argue that the name originates with the Sarmatian
Sarmatians
The Iron Age Sarmatians were an Iranian people in Classical Antiquity, flourishing from about the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD....
tribe Iazyges
Iazyges
The Iazyges were an ancient nomadic tribe. Known also as Jaxamatae, Ixibatai, Iazygite, Jászok, Ászi, they were a branch of the Sarmatian people who, c. 200 BC, swept westward from central Asia onto the steppes of what is now Ukraine...
(of Iranian origin; possibly connected to the Yaz culture
Yaz culture
The Yaz culture is an early Iron Age culture of Bactria and Margiana . It has been regarded as a likely archaeological reflection of early East Iranian culture as described in the Avesta. So far, no burials related to the culture have been found, and this was taken as evidence of the Zoroastrian...
of Eastern Iran), one mentioned by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
as "Ipse vides onerata ferox ut ducata Iasyx/ Per media Istri plaustra bubulcus aquas" and "Iazyges et Colchi Metereaque turba Getaque/ Danubii mediis vix prohibentur aquis".
A now lost inscription on a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
milestone found near Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
by Matija Petar Katančić
Matija Petar Katancic
Matija Petar Katančić was a Croatian writer, professor of aesthetics and archaeology, lexicographer, numismatist.-Biography:As a bootmaker's son from Valpovo, he received his initial education in his native town, to continue his further education in Pecz, Budim, Baia and Szegedin. He had begun his...
in the 18th century, mentions the existence of a Jassiorum municipium, or Municipium Dacorum-Iassiorum from other sources.
Another explanation is that the name originated from the Iranian Alanic
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
tribe of Jassi
Jassic people
The Jassic people or Jász are an ethnic group of Hungarians who mostly live in the Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county of the Republic of Hungary. They are of Ossetic origin and originally spoke the Jassic dialect of the Ossetic language...
. The Hungarian name of the city (Jászvásár) literally means "Jassic Market"; the antiquated Romanian name, Târgul Ieșilor (and the once-favoured Iașii), may indicate the same meaning.
Oral sources say that the name may come from an archaic form of the Romanian word "to exit" because the city was an important trade node in the region.
History
Ancient times
Archaeological investigations attest the presence of human communities on the present territory of the city and around it as far back as the prehistoric age. Later settlements included those of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, a late NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
archaeological culture
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
.
Early development
The name of the city is first officially mentioned in a document about commercial privilege granted by the Moldavian Prince (Voivode) Alexandru cel BunAlexandru cel Bun
Alexander cel Bun was a Voivode of Moldavia, reigning between 1400 and 1432, son of Roman I Mușat. He succeeded Iuga to the throne, and, as a ruler, initiated a series of reforms while consolidating the status of the Moldavian Principality....
to the Polish merchants of Lvov
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
in 1408. However, as buildings older than 1408 existed and still exist (for example the Armenian Church originally believed to be built in 1395), it is believed that the city existed long before its first mentioning.
Capital of Moldavia
Around 1564, Prince Alexandru LăpușneanuAlexandru Lapusneanu
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu was Prince of Moldavia between September 1552 and 18 November 1561 and then between October 1564 and 5 May 1568....
moved the Moldavian capital from Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
to Iași. Between 1561 and 1563, a school and a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
church were founded by the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
adventurer Prince, Ioan Iacob Heraclid
Ioan Iacob Heraclid
Ioan Iacob Heraclid , also known as Jacob Heraclides, was a Greek soldier and ruler of Moldavia from November 1561 to November 1563, most notable for being the first officially Protestant monarch in Eastern Europe....
.
In 1640, Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu was a Moldavian Voivode between 1634 and 1653. Vasile Coci surnamed "the wolf" who ruled as Prince of Moldavia had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to hold it for twenty years. Vasile was of Albanian origin and Greek education...
established the first school in which the mother-tongue replaced Greek, and set up a printing press in the Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
Trei Ierarhi Church (Church of the Three Hierarchs
Three Holy Hierarchs
The Three Holy Hierarchs of Eastern Christianity refers to Basil the Great , Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. They were highly influential bishops of the early church who played pivotal roles in shaping Christian theology...
; built 1635–39). In 1643, the first volume ever printed in Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
was issued in Iași.
The city was burned down by the Tatars
Nogais
The Nogai people are a Turkic ethnic group in Southern Russia: northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Astrakhan Oblast; undefined number live in Chechnya...
in 1513, by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1538, by the Imperial Russian troops in 1686. In 1734, it was hit by the plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
.
Through the Peace of Iași, the sixth Russo-Turkish War was brought to a close in 1792. A Greek revolutionary maneuver and occupation under Alexander Ypsilanti (Αλέξανδρος Υψηλάντης) and the Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
(Φιλική Εταιρία) (1821, at the beginning of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
) led to the storming of the city by the Turks in 1822. In 1844 there was a severe conflagration.
Mid–19th to 20th century
Between 1564 and 1859, the city was the capital of Moldavia; then, between 1859 and 1862, both Iași and BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
were de-facto capitals of the United Principalities
United Principalities
The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, also known as the Romanian Principalities, was the official name of Romania following the 1859 election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince or domnitor of both territories...
of Moldavia and Wallachia. In 1862, when the union of the two principalities was recognized under the name of Romania, the national capital was established in Bucharest. For the loss caused to the city in 1861 by the removal of the seat of government to Bucharest the constituent assembly
Constituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
voted 148,150 lei
Romanian leu
The leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani . The name of the currency means "lion". On 1 July 2005, Romania underwent a currency reform, switching from the previous leu to a new leu . 1 RON is equal to 10,000 ROL...
to be paid in ten annual instalments, but no payment was ever made.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Iași was the capital of a severely reduced Romania for two years, following the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
' occupation of Bucharest on 6 December 1916. The capital was returned to Bucharest after the defeat of Imperial Germany and its allies in November 1918. In November–December 1918 Iași hosted the Jassy Conference
Jassy Conference
The Jassy Conference was a gathering of anti-Bolshevik political figures that met in Iaşi , the temporary capital of Romania at the time from November 16 through December 6, 1918...
.
Jewish community
Iași also figures prominently in Jewish history, with the first documented presence of Sephardi JewsSephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
from the late 16th century. The oldest tomb inscription in the local cemetery probably dates to 1610. By mid-19th century, owing to widespread Russian Jewish
History of the Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union
The vast territories of the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest populations of Jews in the diaspora. Within these territories the Jewish community flourished and developed many of modern Judaism's most distinctive theological and cultural traditions, while also facing periods of...
and Galician Jewish
History of the Jews in Poland
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a millennium. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in the world. Poland was the centre of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of statutory religious tolerance and social autonomy. This ended with the...
immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
into Moldavia, the city was at least one-third Jewish.
In 1855, Iași was the home of the first-ever Yiddish-language newspaper, Korot Haitim, and, in 1876, the site of what was arguably the first-ever professional Yiddish theater performance, established by Avraham Goldfaden
Abraham Goldfaden
Abraham Goldfaden ; was an Russian-born Jewish poet, playwright, stage director and actor in the languages Yiddish and Hebrew, author of some 40 plays.Goldfaden is considered the father of the Jewish modern theatre.In 1876 he founded in...
. The words of HaTikvah
Hatikvah
"Hatikvah" is the national anthem of Israel. The anthem was written by Naphtali Herz Imber, a secular Galician Jew from Zolochiv , who moved to the Land of Israel in the early 1880s....
, the national anthem of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, were written in Iași by Naphtali Herz Imber. Jewish musicians in Iași played an important role as preservers of Yiddish folklore, as performers and composers.
According to the 1930 census, with a population of 34,662 (some 34%) out of the total of 102,872, Jews were the second largest ethnic group in Iași. There were over 127 synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1947, there were about 38,000 Jews living in Iași. During the Postbellum period, Iași played a prominent part in the revival of Yiddish culture in Romania, and, from 1949 to 1963, it was home to a second company of the State Jewish Theater
State Jewish Theater (Romania)
Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat in Bucharest, Romania is a theater specializing in Jewish-related plays. Its contemporary repertoire includes plays by Jewish authors, plays on Jewish topics, and plays in Yiddish...
. The intellectuals of Iași included many Jewish academics, scientists, writers, journalists, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. However, the number of Jews continued to drop because of massive emigration to Israel and, in 1975, there were about 3,000 Jews living in Iași and four synagogues were active.
Today, Iași has a dwindling Jewish population of ca. 300 to 600 members and two working synagogues, one of which, the 1671 Great Synagogue
Great Synagogue (Iaşi)
The Great Synagogue of Iaşi was built in 1671 and is the oldest surviving synagogue in Romania. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments....
, is the oldest surviving synagogue
Oldest synagogues in the world
The designation oldest synagogue in the world requires careful definition. Many very old synagogues have been discovered in archaeological digs. Some synagogues have been destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site, so, while the site or congregation may be ancient, the building may be...
in Romania. Outside of the city on top of a hill there is a large Jewish Cemetery which has graves dating from the late 19th century; burial records date from 1915 to the present day and are kept in the community center. Since 1996, an annual publication on the history of the Jews in Romania, Studia et acta historiae Iudaeorum Romaniae, has been published by the local history and archeology institutes of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
. There is also a Jewish community center serving kosher
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
meals from a small cantina.
World War II
During the war, while the full scale of the HolocaustThe Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
remained generally unknown to the Allied Powers
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
, the Iași pogrom
Iasi pogrom
The Iaşi pogrom or Jassy pogrom of June 27, 1941 was one of the most violent pogroms in Jewish history, launched by governmental forces in the Romanian city of Iaşi against its Jewish population, resulting in the murder of at least 13,266 Jews, according to Romanian authorities.-Background:]During...
stood as one of the known examples of Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
brutality toward the Jews.
The pogrom lasted from 29 June to 6 July 1941, and over 13,266 people, or one third of the Jewish population, were massacred in the pogrom itself or in its aftermath, and many were deported. The pogrom began as a diversionary tactic. Due to its proximity to the Soviet border, the city's Jewish population was accused of aiding the Bolsheviks, and rumors were promoted among the general population that the Jews were anti-Romanian. The pretext for the pogrom included a minor Soviet air attack on the city on 26 June 1941, two days after Romanian and German forces attacked the Soviet Union.
After a second air attack two days later, the 14th Infantry Division, led by General Stavrescu declared its mission of eradicating "those who are aiding the enemy". In a telegram, Stavrescu wrote that the Russian aviators "had accomplices among the Judeo-communist suspects of Iași." Under express orders from military dictator and German ally Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
, the city was to be "cleansed" of its Jewish population. Orders also specified that Section Two of the General Headquarters of the Romanian Army and the Special Intelligence Service (SIS) of Romania were to spread rumors of Jewish treachery in the press, including ones that Jews were guiding Soviet military aircraft by placing lights in their houses' chimneys.
A systematic massacre by the Iași police, Romanian and German soldiers, and a portion of the citizens of Iași followed and at least 8,000 Jews were killed; more than 5,000 Jews were loaded onto overcrowded, sealed "death trains" that drove slowly back and forth across the country in the hot summer weather until most of their passengers were killed by hyperthermia
Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is an elevated body temperature due to failed thermoregulation. Hyperthermia occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate...
, thirst, or infection and bleeding.
Six Romanians of Iași are credited with saving around one hundred Jews (see Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
).
In May 1944, Iași became the scene of ferocious fighting between Romanian-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces and the advancing Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and the city was partially destroyed. The elite German Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland won an impressive defensive victory at the Battle of Târgul Frumos
Battle of Târgul Frumos
The Second Battle of Târgu Frumos, part of the First Jassy-Kishinev Offensive, was a military engagement primarily between the Wehrmacht and Red Army forces in May 1944, near Iaşi, Romania....
, a location near Iași. The battle was the object of several NATO studies during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. By 20 August, Iași had been taken by Soviet forces.
Topography
Located in the North-East of Romania, between the Iași Ridge (the northern-most hill formation of the Bârlad PlateauBârlad Plateau
Bârlad Plateau is a geographic area in E Romania. It is the south central part of the Moldavian Plateau. Although occasionally has heights over 500 m, it is generally sloped from north at 400 m to the south at 200 m....
) and the Jijia Plain
Jijia Plain
Jijia Plain is a geographic area in NE Romania . Despite the name, it is not a flatland, but a region dotted with hills, part of the Moldavian Plateau...
, Iași used to be the crossroads place of the commercial routes that passed through Moldavia coming from Kingdom of Poland, Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, Tsardom of Russia
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia was the name of the centralized Russian state from Ivan IV's assumption of the title of Tsar in 1547 till Peter the Great's foundation of the Russian Empire in 1721.From 1550 to 1700, Russia grew 35,000 km2 a year...
and Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
.
The city lies on the Bahlui River, a tributary of the Jijia (tributary of the Prut). The surrounding country is one of uplands and woods, featuring the monasteries of Bârnova
Bârnova Monastery
The Bârnova Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Bârnova, Iaşi metropolitan area, Moldavia, Romania.Built in 1628, by Moldavian Voivode Miron Barnovschi-Movilă, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments....
, Bucium
Bucium Monastery
The Bucium Monastery , dedicated to "The Sunday of all Aton Saints", is a Romanian Orthodox monastery, located on Bucium Hill neighborhood in Iaşi, Romania.-External links:* at Iaşi City Hall website...
, Cetățuia
Cetăţuia Monastery
The Cetăţuia Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-History:...
, Frumoasa
Frumoasa Monastery
The Frumoasa Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania.Built between 1726 and 1733, by Moldavian Prince Grigore II Ghica, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-External links:...
, Galata
Galata Monastery
The Galata Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania.Built between 1582 and 1584, by Moldavian Voivode Petru Şchiopul, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-External links:...
(with nearby Nicolina mineral springs), Hlincea
Hlincea Monastery
The Hlincea Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery in Ciurea, Iaşi metropolitan area, Romania.Located at the base of Cetăţuia Hill, the monastery was built by Maria, the daughter of Moldavian Prince Petru Şchiopul and dedicated in 1574...
, and the dendrologic
Dendrology
Dendrology or xylology is the science and study of wooded plants . There is no sharp boundary between plant taxonomy and dendrology. However, woody plants not only belong to many different plant families, but these families may be made up of both woody and non-woody members. Some families include...
park of Repedea. Iași itself stands amid vineyards and gardens, partly on hills, partly in the in-between valley.
It is a common belief that Iași is built on seven hills
Seven hills of Iaşi
Iaşi, Romania, is claimed to have been built on seven hills. Many other cities of the world have similar traditions, Rome and Constantinople, for instance, were said to have been built on seven hills.-The hills:...
(coline in Romanian): Cetățuia, Galata, Copou-Aurora, Bucium-Păun, Șorogari, Repedea and Breazu, thus triggering comparisons with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Climate
Iași has a humid, continental-typeHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
climate (Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
"Dfb" — summer wetter than winter, European subtype) with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 32 °C (90 °F) while winters are cold and windy with moderate snowfall and temperatures at night sometimes dropping below -10 °C. Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 25 mm (1 in) in October to 100 mm (4 in) in June.
Architecture
With historical monuments, 500-year-old churches and monasteries, contemporary architecture, many of them listed on the National Register of Historic Monuments, Iași is an outstanding educational center. Pieces of architecture include the Trei Ierarhi MonasteryTrei Ierarhi Monastery
Biserica Trei Ierarhi is a seventeenth-century monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments and included on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site....
, part of the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, or the neo-Gothic Palace of Culture
Palace of Culture (Iasi)
The Palace of Culture is an edifice located in Iaşi, Romania. The building served as Administrative Palace and then Palace of Justice until 1955, when its destination was changed again, being assigned to the four museums nowadays united under the name of Moldova National Museum Complex...
, built on the old ruins of the mediaeval Princely Court of Moldavia.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
many historical buildings in the old city center (around Union Square area) were destroyed or demolished, and replaced by International style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
buildings and also a new mainly Mid-Century modern
Mid-century modern
Mid-Century modern is an architectural, interior and product design form that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture, and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965...
style Civic Centre was built around the Old Market Square (The Central Hall).
Other buildings include:
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityAlexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityThe Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. The University of Iaşi, as it was named at first, is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state, by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan...
main building (1897), a mixture of the NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
and BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
styles, houses the famous Hall of the Lost Footsteps where one can admire the works of the painter Sabin BălașaSabin BalasaSabin Bălaşa was a contemporary Romanian painter. His works are described by himself as belonging to cosmic Romanticism.He completed his high school education at Frații Buzești High School in Craiova in 1950....
; - "Vasile Alecsandri" National TheatreIaşi National TheatreThe Iaşi National Theatre in Iaşi, Romania, is the oldest national theatre and one of the most prestigious theatrical institutions in Romania...
, built between 1894 and 1896 in Neoclassic style with Baroque and RococoRococoRococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
inspired painted and sculpted ornaments; - Metropolitan CathedralMetropolitan Cathedral, IasiThe Metropolitan Cathedral, Iaşi , located at 16 Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt Boulevard, Iaşi, Romania, is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and the largest Orthodox church in Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Paraschiva, to the Presentation...
, the largest OrthodoxRomanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
church in Romania, a late Renaissance styleRenaissance architectureRenaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
, with Baroque elements and Gheorghe TattarescuGheorghe TattarescuGheorghe Tattarescu was a Moldavian-born Romanian painter and a pioneer of neoclassicism in his country's modern painting.-Early life and studies:...
paintings; - Dosoftei House, a building from the second half of the 17th century in which in 1679, the metropolitan bishop Dosoftei settled the second typography in Moldavia. With three façades, arched and right-angled windows, the edifice was restored between 1966 and 1969. It houses the department of old literature of the Romanian Literature Museum;
- Golia MonasteryGolia MonasteryThe Golia Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-History:...
, 1564, rebuilt in 1650 in late-Renaissance style with Byzantine frescoes and intricately carved doorways, is a monumental construction, a monastery in the middle of the city, surrounded by tall walls, with corner turrets, and a 30 m (98.43 ft) height bell tower; - Roznovanu PalaceRoznovanu PalaceRoset-Roznovanu Palace is an edifice located in Iaşi, Romania. It was built in the second half of the 18th century and rebuilt between 1830 and 1833. During World War I, it hosted the Romanian government. Today it hosts the Iaşi City Hall....
(The City Hall), second half of the 18th century, rebuilt between 1830 and 1833, during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, it hosted the Romanian government; - Union Museum, 1806, Empire style, the palace served as the royal residence of Prince Al.I. CuzaAlexander John CuzaAlexander John Cuza was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician who ruled as the first Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia between 1859 and 1866.-Early life:...
between 1859 and 1862 and in 1917–1918, during World War I, as the royal residence of king Ferdinand; - Great SynagogueGreat Synagogue (Iaşi)The Great Synagogue of Iaşi was built in 1671 and is the oldest surviving synagogue in Romania. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments....
, in late Baroque style, built in 1657–1671, is the oldest surviving synagogueOldest synagogues in the worldThe designation oldest synagogue in the world requires careful definition. Many very old synagogues have been discovered in archaeological digs. Some synagogues have been destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site, so, while the site or congregation may be ancient, the building may be...
in Romania and one of the oldest in Europe; - Pogor House, 1850, a meeting place for the city intellectuals, the headquarters of Literary Society JunimeaJunimeaJunimea was a Romanian literary society founded in Iaşi in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi...
(1863) and of the Convorbiri literare (Literary Interlocutions) magazine (1867), houses the Romanian Literature Museum; - Armenian Church, built in 1395, testifies the existence of an important Armenian community in these parts of Romania;
- Luceafărul Theater, 1987, a unique modern building in Romania;
- Old Catholic Cathedral, 1782, in Baroque style, and New Catholic Cathedral, 2005;
- Central University LibraryCentral University Library of IasiThe Mihai Eminescu Central University Library of Iaşi serves the University of Iaşi in Romania.The library was established on 8 November 1839 and opened on 23 November 1841, carrying on the tradition of the activity and fame of the old library of Academia Vasiliană, founded in 1640...
, 1934, incorporates Greek RevivalGreek Revival architectureThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
elements; - Great Railway StationIasi railway stationIaşi railway station is the main railway station in Iaşi and one of the oldest in Romania. It is part of the Pan-European Corridor IX.-History:...
, 1870, inspired by Venetian Doge's Palace.
Monasteries and churches
Iași is the seat of the Romanian OrthodoxRomanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina
Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina
The Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, in Iaşi, Romania, is one of the main bishoprics of the Romanian Orthodox Church.-History:Recognised, in 1401, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Metropolis of Moldavia united, in 1872, with the Metropolis of Ungro-Wallachia to form the...
, and of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Iași
Roman Catholic Diocese of Iasi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Iaşi, Romania was established on 27 June 1884. A diocese had been set up at Siret by Pope Urban V in 1370, due to work done by Franciscans and Dominicans; its seat was transferred to Bacău at the beginning of the 15th century...
. There are currently almost 10,000 Roman Catholics living in Iași. There is a debate between historians as to whether the Catholics are originally of Romanian or Hungarian descent.
The city and area house more than 10 monasteries and 100 historical churches. One of the oldest is Princely Saint Nicholas (1491), dating from the reign of Stephen the Great and the largest in Romania is the Metropolitan Cathedral
Metropolitan Cathedral, Iasi
The Metropolitan Cathedral, Iaşi , located at 16 Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt Boulevard, Iaşi, Romania, is the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Iaşi and Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina, and the largest Orthodox church in Romania. It is dedicated to Saint Paraschiva, to the Presentation...
; perhaps the finest, however, is the 17th century old metropolitan church, Trei Ierarhi
Trei Ierarhi Monastery
Biserica Trei Ierarhi is a seventeenth-century monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments and included on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site....
, an example of Byzantine art, erected in 1635–1639 by Vasile Lupu, and adorned with countless gilded carvings on its outer walls and twin towers. Other examples of beautiful churches and monasteries, some surrounded by big walls, are: Socola
Socola Monastery
Socola Monastery or Schimbarea la Faţă was a Romanian Orthodox establishment located in the eponymous quarter of southern Iaşi, Romania. Founded during Moldavia's existence as a state, it was erected and dedicated by Moldavian Prince Alexandru Lăpuşneanu in 1562, and originally functioned as nunnery...
(1562), Galata
Galata Monastery
The Galata Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania.Built between 1582 and 1584, by Moldavian Voivode Petru Şchiopul, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-External links:...
(1582), Saint Sava (1583), Hlincea
Hlincea Monastery
The Hlincea Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery in Ciurea, Iaşi metropolitan area, Romania.Located at the base of Cetăţuia Hill, the monastery was built by Maria, the daughter of Moldavian Prince Petru Şchiopul and dedicated in 1574...
(1587), Aroneanu (1594), Bârnova
Bârnova Monastery
The Bârnova Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Bârnova, Iaşi metropolitan area, Moldavia, Romania.Built in 1628, by Moldavian Voivode Miron Barnovschi-Movilă, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments....
(1603), Barnovschi (1627), Golia
Golia Monastery
The Golia Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-History:...
(1650), Cetățuia
Cetăţuia Monastery
The Cetăţuia Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania. The monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-History:...
(1668), Frumoasa
Frumoasa Monastery
The Frumoasa Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery located in Iaşi, Romania.Built between 1726 and 1733, by Moldavian Prince Grigore II Ghica, the monastery is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.-External links:...
(1726), Saint Spiridon (1747), Old Metropolitan Cathedral (1761), Bărboi
Barboi Church
The Bărboi Church , dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, is a Romanian Orthodox parish church located at 12 Bărboi Street, Iaşi, Romania.-History:...
(1843 with 18th century bell tower), Bucium
Bucium Monastery
The Bucium Monastery , dedicated to "The Sunday of all Aton Saints", is a Romanian Orthodox monastery, located on Bucium Hill neighborhood in Iaşi, Romania.-External links:* at Iaşi City Hall website...
(1853).
Gardens and parks
Iași has a diverse array of public spaces, from city squares to public parks.Begun in 1833, at the time when Iași was the capital of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, by Prince Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza was a prince of Moldavia from 1834 to 1849. A man of liberal education, he established the Mihaileana Academy, a kind of university, in Iaşi. He brought scholars from foreign countries to act as teachers, and gave a very powerful stimulus to the educational development of the...
and under the plans of Gheorghe Asachi and Mihail Singurov, Copou Park
Copou Park
The Copou Park is a historic park located in the Copou Hill neighborhood, Iaşi, Romania. A landmark of Iaşi, with centuries old trees, Copou Park is one of the first Romanian coordinated public parks.-History:...
was integrated into the city and marks one of the first Romanian coordinated public parks. The oldest monument in Romania stands in the middle of the park, the Obelisk of Lions (1834), a 13.5 m (44.29 ft) tall obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
, dedicated to the Law of Organic Rules
Regulamentul Organic
Regulamentul Organic was a quasi-constitutional organic law enforced in 1834–1835 by the Imperial Russian authorities in Moldavia and Wallachia...
, the first law on political, administrative and juridical organization in Romanian Principalities.
Founded in 1856, the Botanical Garden of Iași
Botanical Garden of Iasi
The Iaşi Botanical Garden, now named after its founder, Anastasie Fătu, , is a botanical garden located in the Copou Hill neighbourhood of Iaşi, Romania...
, the first botanical garden in Romania, has an area of over 100 hectares, and more than 10,000 species of plants.
Iași Exhibition Park
Iaşi Exhibition Park
The Iaşi Exhibition Park is a park located in the Copou Hill neighborhood, Iaşi, Romania.-History:Opened in 1923, the park was designed by the architect Nicolae Ghica-Budești and covers an area of 5.4 hectares.-External links:...
was opened in 1923 and built under the coordination of the architect N. Ghica Budești
Ghica family
The Ghica family were a Romanian noble family, active in Wallachia, Moldavia and in the Kingdom of Romania. In the 18th century, several branches of the family went through a process of Hellenization...
.
The Ciric Park, located in the north-eastern part of Iași is another complex which consists into the park and four lakes.
Cultural life
Major events in the political and cultural history of Moldavia are connected with the name of the city of Iași. The great scholars of the 17th century Grigore UrecheGrigore Ureche
Grigore Ureche was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his Letopiseţul Ţării Moldovei , covering the period from 1359 to 1594....
, Miron Costin
Miron Costin
Miron Costin was a Moldavian political figure and chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Aron Vodă încoace] was meant to extend Grigore Ureche's narrative, covering events from 1594 to 1660...
and later Ion Neculce
Ion Neculce
Ion Neculce was a Moldavian chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Dabija Vodă până la a doua domnie a lui Constantin Mavrocordat] was meant to extend Ion Neculce's narrative, covering events from 1661 to 1743.-Life:Ion Neculce...
, wrote most of their works in the city or not far from it and the famous scholar Dimitrie Cantemir
Dimitrie Cantemir
Dimitrie Cantemir was twice Prince of Moldavia . He was also a prolific man of letters – philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer....
known throughout all Europe also linked his name to the capital of Moldavia.
The first newspaper in Romanian language was published in 1829 in Iași and it is in Iași where, in 1867, appeared under literary society Junimea
Junimea
Junimea was a Romanian literary society founded in Iaşi in 1863, through the initiative of several foreign-educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor, Theodor Rosetti and Iacob Negruzzi...
, the Convorbiri literare review in which Ion Creangă
Ion Creanga
Ion Creangă was a Moldavian-born Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th century Romanian literature, he is best known for his Childhood Memories volume, his novellas and short stories, and his many anecdotes...
’s Childhood Memories
Childhood Memories (Creangă)
Childhood Memories is one of the main literary contributions of Romanian author Ion Creangă...
and the best poems by Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
were published. The reviews Contemporanul
Contemporanul
Contemporanul is a Romanian literary magazine published in Iaşi, Romania from 1881 to 1891 being sponsored by the socialist circle of the city....
and Viața Românească
Viata Româneasca
Viaţa Românească, originally Viaţa Romînească , is a monthly literary magazine published in Romania...
appeared in 1871, respectively in 1906 with great contributions to promoting Romanian national cultural values.
Many great personalities of Romanian culture are connected to Iași: the chronicler Nicolae Milescu
Nicolae Milescu
Nicolae Milescu was a Moldavian writer, traveler, geographer, and diplomat. Milescu spoke 9 languages: Romanian, Latin, Greek, Modern Greek, French, German, Turkish, Swedish and Russian...
, the historians and politics men Mihail Kogălniceanu
Mihail Kogalniceanu
Mihail Kogălniceanu was a Moldavian-born Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania October 11, 1863, after the 1859 union of the Danubian Principalities under Domnitor Alexander John Cuza, and later served as Foreign Minister under Carol I. He...
or Simion Bărnuțiu
Simion Barnutiu
Simion Bărnuţiu was a Transylvanian-born Romanian historian, academic, philosopher, jurist, and liberal politician. A leader of the 1848 revolutionary movement of Transylvanian Romanians, he represented its Eastern Rite Catholic wing...
, the poets Vasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri
Vasile Alecsandri was a Romanian poet, playwright, politician, and diplomat. He collected Romanian folk songs and was one of the principal animators of the 19th century movement for Romanian cultural identity and union of Moldavia and Wallachia....
or George Topârceanu, the writers Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting republican head of state under the communist regime . One of the most prolific Romanian-language writers, he is remembered mostly for his historical and adventure novels, as...
, Alecu Russo
Alecu Russo
Alecu Russo , was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist....
, or Ionel Teodoreanu
Ionel Teodoreanu
Ionel Teodoreanu was a Romanian novelist and lawyer. He is mostly remembered for his books on the themes of childhood and adolescence.-Biography:...
, the literary critic Titu Maiorescu
Titu Maiorescu
Titu Liviu Maiorescu was a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the Junimea Society. As a literary critic, he was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of the 19th century....
, the historian A.D. Xenopol, the philosophers Vasile Conta
Vasile Conta
Vasile Conta was a Romanian philosopher, poet, and politician.He was born in Ghindăoani, a village in Bălţăteşti commune, Neamţ County....
or Petre Andrei, the sociologist Dimitrie Gusti
Dimitrie Gusti
Dimitrie Gusti was a Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, historian, and voluntarist philosopher; a professor at the University of Iaşi and the University of Bucharest, he served as Romania's Minister of Education in 1932-1933...
, the geographer Emil Racoviță
Emil Racovita
Emil Racoviţă was a Romanian biologist, zoologist, speleologist and explorer of Antarctica.Together with Grigore Antipa, he was one of the most noted promoters of natural sciences in Romania...
, the painter Octav Băncilă
Octav Bancila
Octav Băncilă was a Romanian realist painter and left-wing activist. He was the brother of Sofia Nădejde, a feminist journalist, and the brother-in-law of Ion Nădejde .-Biography:...
, only to name a few.
Theatres and orchestras
The "Vasile Alecsandri" National TheatreIaşi National Theatre
The Iaşi National Theatre in Iaşi, Romania, is the oldest national theatre and one of the most prestigious theatrical institutions in Romania...
, opened in 1840, is the oldest National Theatre in Romania. The building, designed according to the plans of the Viennese architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner
Ferdinand Fellner
Ferdinand Fellner was an Austrian architect. Along with Hermann Helmer, he designed several theatres and palaces across Europe in the late 19th century and early 20th century.Fellner was born in Vienna...
, was raised between 1894 and 1896, and also hosts, starting 1956, the Iași Romanian National Opera
Iaşi Romanian National Opera
Iaşi Romanian National Opera is a public opera house and ballet company institution in Iaşi, Romania.The first performance at Iaşi Opera was on November 3, 1956 Iaşi Romanian National Opera is a public opera house and ballet company institution in Iaşi, Romania.The first performance at Iaşi Opera...
.
Iași is also home to:
- Moldova State Philharmonic Orchestra
- Luceafărul Theater for children and youth
- Tătărași Athenaeum
Museums
First Memorial House from Romania opened in Iași in 1918 as Ion Creangă
Ion Creanga
Ion Creangă was a Moldavian-born Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher. A main figure in 19th century Romanian literature, he is best known for his Childhood Memories volume, his novellas and short stories, and his many anecdotes...
Memorial House, and today the Iași Romanian Literature Museum owns twelve memorial houses.
The Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
Museum is situated in Copou Park
Copou Park
The Copou Park is a historic park located in the Copou Hill neighborhood, Iaşi, Romania. A landmark of Iaşi, with centuries old trees, Copou Park is one of the first Romanian coordinated public parks.-History:...
and it is dedicated to the great poet’s life and creation. Other museums are dedicated to: Dosoftei
Dosoftei
Dimitrie Barilă, better known under his monastical name Dosoftei , was a Moldavian Metropolitan, scholar, poet and translator....
, Mihail Kogălniceanu
Mihail Kogalniceanu
Mihail Kogălniceanu was a Moldavian-born Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania October 11, 1863, after the 1859 union of the Danubian Principalities under Domnitor Alexander John Cuza, and later served as Foreign Minister under Carol I. He...
, Vasile Pogor
Vasile Pogor
Vasile Pogor , was a Romanian poet, translator, politician, and founding member of the Junimea literary society....
, Nicolae Gane, Petru Poni, Mihai Codreanu, Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting republican head of state under the communist regime . One of the most prolific Romanian-language writers, he is remembered mostly for his historical and adventure novels, as...
, George Topîrceanu
George Topîrceanu
George Topîrceanu was a Romanian poet, short story writer, and humourist.-Biography:Born in Bucharest, Topîrceanu began his schooling in the city, and then moved to the hilly countryside of the Argeş county, in the Şuici commune, where he formed his taste for themes taken from nature...
, Otilia Cazimir, Radu Cernătescu.
The Theatre Museum, opened in 1976, at the celebration of 160 years since the first theatrical performance in Romanian, illustrates the development of the theatrical phenomenon since the beginning, important moments of the history of Iași National Theatre, the foundation, in 1840, of the Philharmonic-dramatic Conservatoire, prestigious figures that have contributed to the development of the Romanian theatre.
The Union Museum, includes original pieces and documents which belonged to prince Al. I. Cuza and his family.
The Natural History Museum, founded on 4 February 1834, is the first museum of this kind in Romania with over 300,000 items, the most valuable being the collections of insects, mollusk, amphibians, reptiles, birds, plants and minerals.
Four other museums are located in the Palace of Culture
Palace of Culture (Iasi)
The Palace of Culture is an edifice located in Iaşi, Romania. The building served as Administrative Palace and then Palace of Justice until 1955, when its destination was changed again, being assigned to the four museums nowadays united under the name of Moldova National Museum Complex...
, The Art Museum has the largest art collection in Romania, with more than 8,000 paintings, out of which 1,000 belong to the national and universal patrimony, The Moldavia's History Museum, offers more than 35,000 objects from various fields, archaeology, numismatics, decorative art, ancient books, documents, The Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia owns more than 11,000 objects depicting the Romanian advance through the ages and The Science and Technology Museum with five distinct sections and one memorial house.
Foreign culture centres
Iași hosts five cultural centres: FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n & Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Hellenic
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Periferic Biennial
PerifericPeriferic
Periferic is an international biennial of contemporary art initiated in 1997 as a performance festival by the Romanian artist Matei Bejenaru. It is organized in Iaşi, Romania by the Vector Association, and takes its name from the "centre-periphery" relationship that it seeks to explore...
is an international biennial of contemporary art organized in Iași, Romania by the Vector Association. Eight editions have taken place thus far.
Economy
Iași is an important economic centre in Romania. The local and regional economy relies on public sector institutions and establishments.The most important sectors are related to health care, education, manufacturing, research, culture, government and tourism. It is active in automotive, pharmaceutical industry, metallurgical production, textiles and clothing, constructions, banking, wine, preserved meat.
The city is an important IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
sector centre, with software companies and two universities that provide high quality graduate engineers.
Iași is also a well-developed commercial city with many shopping malls and commercial centres.
Largest employers
| Company | Industry | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| St. Spiridon University Hospital | Health Care | 2,757 |
| Alexandru Ioan Cuza University Alexandru Ioan Cuza University The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. The University of Iaşi, as it was named at first, is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state, by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan... |
High Education | 2,040 |
| Delphi Diesel Systems | Automotive | 1,848 |
| Gheorghe Asachi Technical University Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi The Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. It has the oldest tradition in Romania in engineering education and is second ranked among the technical institutions of higher education, and the fifth among all universities in Romania, in the national... |
High Education | 1,593 |
| Antibiotice SA Antibiotice Iasi Antibiotice Iaşi , is a state-owned pharmaceutical company which is the third largest drug producing company in Romania and the second largest nystatin producer in the world. Its research center and production facilities are based in Valea Lupului, a commune near Iaşi.-External links:* * *... |
Pharmaceutical Industry | 1,450 |
| University of Medicine and Pharmacy | High Education | 1,344 |
| RATP RATP Iaşi The Regia Autonomă de Transport Public Iaşi is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Iaşi, Romania.Established on 19 March 1898, RATP operates an extensive network using trams and buses... |
Public Transport | 1,300 |
| CET | Energy & Heating Industry | 1,200 |
| St. Maria Clinic Children's Hospital | Health Care | 1,200 |
| ApaVital SA | Water Industry | 1,200 |
Sources:
Demographics
| Historical population of Iași | |||||||||||||
| Year | Population | %± | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th century | ~30,000 | — | |||||||||||
| 1831 | 59,880 | 99.6% | |||||||||||
| 1859 | 65,745 | 9.8% | |||||||||||
| 1900 | 78,067 | 18.7% | |||||||||||
| 1912 census | 75,229 | −3.6% | |||||||||||
| 1930 census | 102,872 | 36.7% | |||||||||||
| 1948 census | 96,075 | −6.6% | |||||||||||
| 1956 census | 112,977 | 17.6% | |||||||||||
| 1966 census | 161,023 | 42.5% | |||||||||||
| 1977 census | 265,002 | 64.5% | |||||||||||
| 1992 census | 344,425 | 29.9% | |||||||||||
| 2002 census | 320,888 | −6.8% | |||||||||||
| 2007 estimate | 315,214 | −1.7% | |||||||||||
According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 109,357 housing units and 320,888 people living within the city of Iași, making it the second most populous city in Romania. Additionally there are 60,000 more residents (mostly students) and thousands of daily commuters.
Of this population, 98.5% are ethnic Romanians
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, while 0.59% are ethnic Roma, 0.13% Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, 0.13% Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, 0.13% Lipovans
Lipovans
Lipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in the Moldavian Principality, in Dobruja and Eastern Muntenia...
, 0.08% Hungarians, 0.05% Germans
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
and 0.39% others.
In terms of religion, 92.5% of the population are Christian Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, 4.9% Roman Catholic, other religious groups 2.6%.
As of 2010, 309,631 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.
Iași Metropolitan Area
Iasi metropolitan area
The Iaşi Metropolitan Area is a metropolitan area in Iaşi County, Romania, that includes the municipality of Iaşi and 13 nearby communes.It has a total surface of 808 km² of the 5,476 km² that the county has, and a population of 400,347 inhabitants out of the 823,388 in the...
has a combined estimated population of 400,347, an area of 808 km² and includes the municipality of Iași and 13 other nearby communities.
Education
The first institute of higher learning that functioned on the territory of Romania was Academia VasilianăVasilian College
The Vasilian College or Vasilian Academy was an institution of higher learning in the Principality of Moldavia, founded by Prince Vasile Lupu in 1640....
(1640) founded by Prince Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu
Vasile Lupu was a Moldavian Voivode between 1634 and 1653. Vasile Coci surnamed "the wolf" who ruled as Prince of Moldavia had secured the Moldavian throne in 1634 after a series of complicated intrigues and managed to hold it for twenty years. Vasile was of Albanian origin and Greek education...
as a "higher school for Latin and Slavonic languages", followed by the Princely Academy in 1707.
The first high education structure in Romanian language
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
was established in the autumn of 1813, when engineer Gheorghe Asachi
Gheorghe Asachi
Gheorghe Asachi was a Moldavian-born Romanian prose writer, poet, painter, historian, dramatist and translator. An Enlightenment-educated polymath and polyglot, he was one of the most influential people of his generation...
laid the foundations of a class of engineers, its activities taking place within the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Princely Academy.
After 1813, other moments marked the development of higher education in Romanian language, regarding both humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and the technical science. In 1835, Academia Mihăileană
Academia Mihaileana
Academia Mihăileană was an institution of higher learning based in Iași, Moldavia, and active in the first part of the 19th century. Like other Eastern Europeean institutions of its kind, it was both a high school and a higher learning institute, housing several faculties.-History:Academia...
founded by Prince Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza
Mihail Sturdza was a prince of Moldavia from 1834 to 1849. A man of liberal education, he established the Mihaileana Academy, a kind of university, in Iaşi. He brought scholars from foreign countries to act as teachers, and gave a very powerful stimulus to the educational development of the...
is considered first Romanian superior institute in the country.
In 1860, three faculties part of the Academia Mihăileană formed the nucleus for the newly-established University of Iași, the first Romanian university.
The Physicians and Naturalists Society, founded in Iași, has existed since the early part of the 19th century, and a number of periodicals are published. One of the oldest medical universities in Romania, founded in 1879, is in Iași. It is now known as the Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
In 1937, the two applied science
Applied science
Applied science is the application of scientific knowledge transferred into a physical environment. Examples include testing a theoretical model through the use of formal science or solving a practical problem through the use of natural science....
sections of the University of Iași became departments of the newly created Gheorghe Asachi Polytechnic School
Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi
The Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. It has the oldest tradition in Romania in engineering education and is second ranked among the technical institutions of higher education, and the fifth among all universities in Romania, in the national...
. In the period before and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the later (renamed Polytechnic Institute in 1948) extended its domain of activity, especially in the field of engineering, and became adopted a Technical University in 1993.
Public universities include:
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityAlexandru Ioan Cuza UniversityThe Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. The University of Iaşi, as it was named at first, is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state, by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan...
- Gheorghe Asachi Technical UniversityGheorghe Asachi Technical University of IasiThe Gheorghe Asachi Technical University is a public university located in Iaşi, Romania. It has the oldest tradition in Romania in engineering education and is second ranked among the technical institutions of higher education, and the fifth among all universities in Romania, in the national...
- Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy
- George Enescu University of ArtsGeorge Enescu University of Arts of IaşiThe George Enescu University of Arts is a public university in Iaşi, Romania, founded in 1860. Its focus was remodelled in 1992. Due to the reunion of the Conservatory of music and dramatic art and the National Society of Fine Arts, the institution was regrouped to focus on plastic arts, theatre...
- Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary MedicineIon Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of IaşiThe Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine is a public university in Iaşi, Romania. It was named in honor of the scientist Ion Ionescu de la Brad.-Faculties:* * * * -External links:*...
Besides the universities, there are schools of art and music.
The Central University Library of Iași
Central University Library of Iasi
The Mihai Eminescu Central University Library of Iaşi serves the University of Iaşi in Romania.The library was established on 8 November 1839 and opened on 23 November 1841, carrying on the tradition of the activity and fame of the old library of Academia Vasiliană, founded in 1640...
, where the chief records of Romanian history are preserved, is the oldest and the second largest in Romania.
Health
Iași is home to at least 15 hospitals, including the St. Spiridon Hospital, the second largest and one of the oldest in Romania, St. Maria Clinic Children's Hospital, Socola Psychiatric University Hospital and Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.Rail
Iași-PașcaniPascani
Paşcani is a city in Iaşi County in the Moldavia region of Romania on the Siret river. , it has a population of 42,172. Five villages are administered by the city: Blăgeşti, Boşteni, Gâsteşti, Lunca and Sodomeni....
railway was opened on , Iași-Ungheni
Ungheni
----Ungheni is the seventh largest city in Moldova and, since 2003, the seat of Ungheni District.There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border town with the same name in Romania , on the other side of the Prut River.- History :The first historical...
on 1 August 1874 and Iași-Chișinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
railway was opened on 1 June 1875 by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878).
Nowadays, three train stations, Great Railway Station
Iasi railway station
Iaşi railway station is the main railway station in Iaşi and one of the oldest in Romania. It is part of the Pan-European Corridor IX.-History:...
, Nicolina International Rail Station and Socola Rail Station serve the city and are operated by Romanian Railways
Caile Ferate Române
Căile Ferate Române is the official designation of the state railway carrier of Romania. Romania has a railway network of of which are electrified and the total track length is . The network is significantly interconnected with other European railway networks, providing pan-European passenger...
(CFR). Moldovan railway
Calea Ferată din Moldova
CFM is the only railway operator in the Republic of Moldova, that is responsible for passenger and cargo transportation, as well as the railway infrastructure maintenance, within the country. It is the successor of MZhD, a subdivision of the USSR railway...
also serves these stations for travel into Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
.
The Great Railway Station, located about 1 km to the city centre, provides direct rail connections to all the major Romanian cities and to Chișinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
. The rail stations are very well connected to all the parts of the city by the tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s and bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es of the local public transport companies.
Air
Iasi International Airport
Iaşi Airport is an airport serving the city of Iaşi, Romania. It is situated northeast of the city centre.-History:Iaşi Airport is one of the oldest accredited airports in Romania. The Iaşi region earned its commercial representative status on 24 June 1926, when scheduled flights were...
(IAS) located 8 km east of the city centre. The airport has nonstop flights to and from Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Timișoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Road
Iași is connected by European routes E583/E85European route E85
European route E 85 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 85 starts from Klaipėda runs south through Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria to Greece, ending at Alexandroupolis....
with Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
through a four lane express road, by European route E58
European route E58
European route E 58 is a road part of the International E-road network. It begins in Vienna, Austria and ends in Rostov-na-Donu, Russia....
with Central Europe and Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
in Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
, and by DN National Roads with all major cities of Romania. It is also planned an East–West freeway connection to A3 Transylvania Motorway
A3 (Romania)
A3 Transylvania Motorway or Autostrada Transilvania is a motorway currently being constructed in Romania. It will be a four-lane, 588-kilometer motorway, stretching northwest from Bucharest to Oradea. The motorway will connect the cities of Bucharest, Ploieşti, Braşov, Făgăraş, Sighişoara, Târgu...
.
The Iași Coach Station is used by several private transport companies to provide coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
connections from Iași to a large number of locations from all over the country.
Public transport
Two operators, the local public transport company, RATP IașiRATP Iaşi
The Regia Autonomă de Transport Public Iaşi is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Iaşi, Romania.Established on 19 March 1898, RATP operates an extensive network using trams and buses...
, and Unistil, a private company, provide public transit within the Iași city and operate an extensive network using 150 tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s (electric trams began operating in Iași in 1900) and 150 bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es. In the first 3 months of 2007, RATP carried 11,365,819 passengers, an average of 128,000 passengers per day.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Iași is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Chișinău Chisinau Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc... , Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... (2008) Assiut, Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... (1995) Athens Athens, Georgia Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... (2001) Filacciano Filacciano Filacciano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 40 km north of Rome.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Forano Forano Forano is a comune in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Latium, located about 45 km north of Rome and about 25 km southwest of Rieti... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Irbid Irbid Irbid , known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela , is the capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate. It also has the second largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 660,000, and is located about 70 km north of Amman on the northern ridge of... , Jordan Jordan Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing... (2000) Isfahan Isfahan (city) Isfahan , historically also rendered in English as Ispahan, Sepahan or Hispahan, is the capital of Isfahan Province in Iran, located about 340 km south of Tehran. It has a population of 1,583,609, Iran's third largest city after Tehran and Mashhad... , Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... (1999) Jericho Jericho Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently... , Palestinian Authority (2003) |
Kozani Kozani Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... (1928) Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... (2002) Morlupo Morlupo Morlupo is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 30 km north of Rome. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 7,230 and an area of 23.9 km².... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Nazzano Nazzano Nazzano is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Latium, located about 40 km north of Rome.... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Padua, Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1995) Peristeri Peristeri Peristeri is a suburban municipality in Athens, Greece, located about 5 km NW of the downtown area. The municipality is bordered by the Cephissus/Cephissos River, Athinon Avenue , Chaidari in the west and Petroupoli in the northwest, with a size of around... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... (2002) Poitiers Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (1969) |
Quebec City Quebec City Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... (2001) Sant'Oreste Sant'Oreste Sant'Oreste is a comune in the province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 35 km north of Rome. It faces the Monte Soratte, which houses a Natural Preserve with the same name.-History:... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Torrita Tiberina Torrita Tiberina Torrita Tiberina is a comune in the Province of Rome in the Italian region Lazio, located about 40 km north of Rome. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,010 and an area of 10.8 km².... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... (1999) Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. With more than 60,000 inhabitants, it is one of the main cities of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole and the largest in area after Lille ; it is also one of the main cities of the Nord-Pas de Calais region.Built up... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... (2003) Vinnytsia Vinnytsia Vinnytsia is a city located on the banks of the Southern Bug, in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast.-Names:... , Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... (1993) Xi'an Xi'an Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... (1993) Eindhoven, Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... (2011) Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... (1998) |
Consulates in Iași
- MoldovaMoldovaMoldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
– Consulate-GeneralMoldovan Consulate General, IaşiThe Consulate General of Moldova in Iaşi is a consulate general of Moldova to Romania. The official opening of the Consulate took place on September 1, 2010.-See also:*List of diplomatic missions of Moldova*Moldovan–Romanian relations...
Honorary Consulates:
- HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
- ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Vice Consulate) - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
External links
- Iași City Hall website
- Iași at romaniatourism.com
- Official site of the Iași police inspectorate
- Public transport picture gallery
- Street Map of Iași, as comissioned by the City Hall
- Map of Iași Metropolitan Area (free interactive map with street index, points of interest, and geographic location hyper-linking)
- Map of Public Transportation in Iași (free interactive map with transportation index)
- Map of Public Transportation in Iași
- Iași at museum.ici.ro
- Picture gallery with most points of interest in Iași
- Local news and events
- Cultural events in Iași
- Public transport in Iași
- Iași city Tourism
- Iasi Legendary City
- Iași City Portal
- Iași photo gallery
- Al. I. Cuza University of Iași official site
- Gh. Asachi Technical University of Iași official site
- Gr. T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iași official site
- G. Enescu University of Arts of Iași official site
- I. Ionescu de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iași official site