AISEES Journeys in Southeastern Europe (blog of American Institute for Southeast European Studies)

One of the most characteristic architectural features in the northwestern region of Romania are wooden churches. The wooden churches of Transylvania and Maramures were built between the 17th and 20th centuries for the Romanian Orthodox inhabitants of the eastern area of what was the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Whereas "mainstream" Reformist and Catholic churches were large and built of stone masonry, the churches of Orthodox Christians had to be small and constructed of wood (in part, to prevent large congregations of potential revolutionaries).  The churches are generally entered from a side door into a porch. The main space with seating was reserved for men, while the porch or an upper gallery was for women. The body of the churches were constructed of massive wooden beams that were bonded only by joints and wooden pegs. All other components - roof and decoration - were fastened in similar manners. The interiors were highly ornate with painted walls and and iconostasis. The ex...

In the 15 years that I had the pleasure and privilege to travel, work, and live in parts of SE Europe, I visited many archaeological sites. In particular, I came to learn about the archaeological heritage of Bulgaria, during my 3-year term directing a research institute in Sofia. This is a list of my 5 favorite archaeological sites in Bulgaria (in alphabetical order) : Diocletianopolis (modern Hisarya)  was one of the most important cities in the province/diocese of Thrace during the Roman period, Late Antiquity and the Byzantine period. Today, only the Late Antique phase of the city is visible. The city’s fortification wall had the shape of an irregular tetragon, and consists of alternating courses of stone and brick. There are four main gates whose vaults are composed of brick and, in addition to the gate towers, there are 38 defensive towers. Barracks and storage facilities have been identified along the southern and eastern walls. While mineral springs were present in the cit...