Mraconia Monastery

Andrei Telteu
Mar 25
2 min read

Mraconia Monastery is located in Dubova village, Mehedinți County, approximately 15 kilometers west of Orșova.

More specifically, it stands on the left bank of the Danube, at a point where the river forms its most beautiful gorge along its entire course, stretching between Orșova and Moldova Nouă.

Mraconia Monastery was built on the site of a former observation and navigation control point for vessels on the Danube. Due to the area's rugged topography and the narrow passages of the gorge, two ships could not pass simultaneously.

These narrow and wide sections of the river have been named the "Danube Boilers," considered by many to be the most beautiful place in the country.

According to historical records, Mraconia Monastery has existed since the mid-15th century. It is believed to have been founded in 1453 and rebuilt after 1800.

Documented since 1453, Mraconia Monastery was destroyed during the Russo-Austro-Turkish war between 1787 and 1792, later rebuilt, and then demolished again in 1968.

It is unclear how far the reconstruction progressed, but its ruins were eventually submerged by the Danube when the Iron Gates reservoir was created.

The construction of the Iron Gates I hydropower plant in 1967 led to the monastery's demolition, and its ruins were flooded by the Danube.

The monastery was not granted permission to be rebuilt elsewhere, earning it the name "The Monastery Under the Waters, Mraconia."

After 1989, the Metropolitan Church of Oltenia initiated efforts to reestablish Mraconia Monastery. In 1993, the foundation stone for the new church was laid, and in 1995, with the blessing of Bishop Nestor Vornicescu and the approval of the Holy Synod, the monastery was reestablished.

Construction was completed between 1999 and 2000. The current church is dedicated to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel and the Holy Trinity.

The church is built of brick in the shape of a cross. From the original monastery, now submerged beneath the Danube, only the royal doors and a candle remain, which are preserved in the parish museum of Eșelnița.