Chiajna Monastery is the name of a ruined church situated on the outskirts of Bucharest, which is the subject of many mysterious legends, including the story that it is cursed. The information center Giuleşti Park is devoted to the upkeep and protection of the building, which is a national heritage site.
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Construction began during the reign of Alexander Ypsilanti (1774-1782) and was completed by the Phanariote Nicholas Mavrogenes (1786-1790). It was built in neoclassical style, and was considered very large for that time: 43 meters long and 18 high, with walls 1 and 2 meters thick.[1]
The church was meant to be one of the most important places of worship for Romania, but that never happened. Legend says that the church was bombarded by the Turks even before consecration. The Turks believed that the church formed a new threat as the start of a new city, and therefore tried to destroy it. Thus, all the documents within the church were burned, though the building itself remained standing. The tower collapsed in the earthquake of 1977.
The monastery was abandoned during the plague in the reign of Alexander Ypsilanti. Other sources say that work on the monastery began in 1792, but was abandoned during the time of plague, when the prince was Michael Şuţu.
Today, every few minutes, airplanes pass over the church, at very low altitude on their way to Bucharest airport. For this reason, but especially because it is located closer than 20 meters from the railway Bucharest - Craiova, the monastery has suffered greatly, bricks fall off of it almost every day. Some architects believe that the monastery can be restored, because a church built from scratch would cost much more. In April 2011 the monastery was claimed by the church and it now has restoration plans for the site. The place is now bordered by a fence but access is free.