Moon Church

{{Short description|Heritage site in Bihor County, Romania}} {{Infobox religious building | name = Moon Church | native_name = Biserica cu Lună | native_name_lang = ro | image = Biserica cu Lună Oradea (2023) - img 03.jpg | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Front facade of the church | religious_affiliation = Romanian Orthodox Church | tradition = | sect = | rite = | festival =  | organisational_status =  | ownership = | governing_body = | leadership = | consecration_year = 1832 | functional_status = | religious_features_label = | religious_features = | location = Oradea | locale = | municipality = | cercle = | state = | country = Romania | map_type = | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|47.05368|21.92897|format=dms|type:landmark_region:RO|display=inline}} | coordinates_footnotes = | heritage_designation = | architect = | architecture_type = | architecture_style = Baroque architecture | founded_by = | creator = | funded_by = | general_contractor = | established = | groundbreaking = 1784 | year_completed = 1790 | construction_cost = | date_demolished =  | facade_direction = | capacity = | length = | width = | width_nave = | interior_area = | height_max = | designated = | added = | refnum = | delisted1_date = | website = | module =  | footnotes = }}

The '''Moon Church''' ({{langx|ro|Biserica cu Lună}}) is a Romanian Orthodox church located at 10 Piața Unirii, Oradea, Romania. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.

==History== The local Orthodox community mainly lived in the Velența and Orașul Nou ('New Town') districts, and was composed of Romanians, Serbs, Aromanians and Greeks. A number of them acquired substantial wealth, were prominent in city life and wished to build a grand church. Two wealthy and influential judges on the appeals court, Püspöky Mihály and Kristoff Mihály<ref name= g>{{in lang|ro}} Laura Gal, [https://adevarul.ro/locale/oradea/cum-fost-ridicata-biserica-luna-cea-mai-cunoscuta-biserica-oradea-1_5ce1912d445219c57ed08597/index.html “Cum a fost ridicată Biserica cu Lună, cea mai cunoscută biserică din Oradea”], ''Adevărul'', May 21, 2019</ref> - noblemen devoted to the Orthodox faith - obtained an audience with Joseph II. They argued that the city’s only Orthodox church, located in Velența, was too far from other Orthodox areas. In spite of protests, permission was granted.<ref name= k>{{in lang|ro}} Tamás Emődi, [http://www.enciclopediavirtuala.ro/monument.php?id=249 Description] at the Virtual Encyclopedia of Romania (2010)</ref>

Bishop of Arad, Petar Petrović, presided over the cornerstone laying. This is recorded in Greek, Romanian and Serbian inscriptions.<ref name= k/> Construction began in November 1784, during the Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan.<ref name= d/><ref name= g/> Éder Jakab (Jakob Eder), a Nagyvárad (Oradea) local, was the architect, and Johann Lins the building engineer.<ref name= d/> In the summer of 1786, following several days of torrential rain, the structure partly collapsed.<ref name= g/> Work was completed in 1790, with the first services taking place in November. Once the interior painting was finished in 1832, the church was consecrated.<ref name= d>{{in lang|ro}} [http://oradea.travel/?p=1915 Description] at the Oradea Tourism Office site</ref>

==Description== thumb|Iconostasis of the church The style is late Baroque with clear classicizing elements, as well as a decided provincial stamp. The interior strictly adheres to the norms of Byzantine architecture. <ref name="d"/> The keystone above the iconostasis<ref name="e"/> used to feature a portrait of Vasile Ursu Nicola, better known as the revolt leader Horea and usually considered the only authentic depiction of his face. Today, a copy stands in its stead; the original is at the Oradea Diocese museum.<ref name="d"/>

The nickname derives from a mechanism installed in the spire in 1793. The clock and moon are the work of an innovative Viennese hobby astronomer and clockmaker, Georg Rüppe.<ref name= BcL>{{cite web |title= Biserica cu Lună: Mecanismul orologiu[lui] |website= official website |lang= ro |url= https://www.bisericaculunaoradea.ro/mecanismul-orologiu/ |access-date= 9 December 2025}}</ref><ref name= KnH>{{cite book |title= Reise Know-How Rumänien |year= 2012 |publisher= Reise Know-How Verlag Peter Rump |place= Bielefeld |page= 709 |lang= de |url= https://www.reise-know-how.de/sites/default/files/9783831721757_rf_probe_rumaenien_12.pdf |access-date= 9 December 2025}} Exerpt from tour guide book.</ref> The mechanism that turns the moon is designed to complete a whole rotation around its axis every 28 days, thus indicating the phases of the moon, based on the daily cycle marked by the clock mechanism. The anchoring wheel of the clock is engraved in German with the designer’s name and hometown.<ref name="d"/>

The church served as a cathedral from 1920, when the Oradea Diocese was revived,<ref name="e">{{in lang|ro}} [https://www.oradeaheritage.ro/biserica-cu-luna/ Description] at the Oradea Heritage site</ref> until 2012, when a new cathedral opened.<ref name="f">{{in lang|ro}} [https://www.agerpres.ro/culte/2020/09/20/bihor-catedrala-episcopala-invierea-domnului-din-oradea-sfintita-de-patriarhul-daniel-si-un-sobor-de-preoti--575863 “Bihor: Catedrala Episcopală ‘Învierea Domnului’ din Oradea sfinţită de Patriarhul Daniel și un sobor de preoţi”], Agerpres, September 20, 2020</ref> The church was repainted in 1977-1979.<ref name="k"/> It is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [http://www.patrimoniu.ro/images/LMI/LMI-2010_BH.pdf Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Bihor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215225455/http://www.patrimoniu.ro/images/LMI/LMI-2010_BH.pdf |date=2018-12-15 }}</ref>

==References== {{commonscat|Biserica cu Lună}} {{reflist}}

Category:Churches in Oradea Category:Historic monuments in Bihor County Category:Romanian Orthodox church buildings in Romania Category:Churches completed in 1790 Category:Baroque church buildings in Romania Category:Former cathedrals in Romania