Manuc's Inn

Manuc's Inn as seen from outside

The yard of Manuc's Inn in 1841

The yard of Manuc's Inn in 2006

Manuc Bei

Manuc's Inn (Romanian: Hanul lui Manuc, pronounced [ˈhanu(l) luj maˈnuk]) was, until it was recently shut for restoration and refurbishment, the oldest operating hotel building in Bucharest, Romania; it also housed a popular restaurant, several bars, a coffee-house, and (facing the street) several stores and an extensive bar. Its massive, multiply balconied courtyard hosted many performances and fairs and was a popular place for Romanian television crews to shoot folkloric performances. The hotel and restaurant were closed down in 2007 for refurbishment; shops and a bar known both as Cafeaneaua Bucurestilor de Altadata ("Bucharest of Yesteryear" Cafe) and as Festival 39 remained open (though the bar closed in February 2010).^[1] The hotel and restaurant are expected to reopen under new management once the restoration and refurbishment are completed. However, there appear to be disagreements between the city government and the owners about the legality of certain modernizations being undertaken.^[2]

Location

The building is located at 62–64 strada Franceză (the street has been variously known in the past as Iuliu Maniu, 30 Decembrie, and Carol),^[3]^[4]^[5] across the street from the ruins of the Old Court (Curtea Veche).^[6] Although one side now faces a vast modern public square, Piaţa Unirii,^[6] there is no evidence of this in the courtyard or the inward-facing rooms.

History

The inn was built in 1808 as a khan, and originally owned by a wealthy and flamboyant Armenian entrepreneur, Emanuel Mârzaian, better known under his Turkish name Manuc-bei.^[7] By the middle of the 19th century, it was Bucharest's most important commercial complex, with 15 wholesalers, 23 retail stores, 107 rooms for offices or living, two receiving rooms and a pub.^[3]

Although Manuc's Inn has been subject to repeated restorations — in 1848, 1863, 1966–1970, and 1991–1992,^[7] as well as the one now under way — its essential structure remains intact; of the three surviving 19th century inns in the Lipscani district,^[8] it is the only one recently or currently in use as a hotel.

The inn was the site of the preliminary talks for the Treaty of Bucharest, which put an end to the 1806–1812 Russo-Turkish war.^[7] In 1842 it briefly housed Bucharest's town hall.^[7] Around 1880 a hall at the inn was used as a theatre, and was the site of the first Romanian operetta performance.^[7]

Before Romania entered World War I, in 1914–1916, the hall "Sala Dacia" hosted meetings of the Wallachian pro-war party seeking to establish a Greater Romania by uniting with Transylvania and Bukovina; speakers included Nicolae Filipescu, Take Ionescu, Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, and Octavian Goga.^[7]

The building was nationalized 19 February 1949. Ownership was restored to Prince Șerban-Constantin Cantacuzino in February 2007.^[3]