Proceedings of the 2nd ICAUD International Conference in Architecture and Urban Design

Epoka University, Tirana, Albania, 08-10 May 2014

Paper No. XXX (The number assigned by the OpenConf System)
The Churches Carved In Chalk
Murfatlar, Constana

Mihai Opreanu
The University of Architecture and Urbanism Ion Mincu
18-20 Academiei, Bucharest, Romania
opreanu.m@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The rupestral ensemble is part of a Roman quarry, located on the cliff of the Tibisir hill, at the edge
of the town of Murfatlar, twenty kilometers away from Constana, in Romania. It was discovered during
the opening works of a contemporary rock mining operation, on June 11th 1957. The massif which
resulted from quarrying made possible the excavation of several chapels, burial chambers which are
located on three levels vertically interconnected with tunnels and galleries. The interior surfaces of the
cavities and some exterior surfaces of the quarry walls are covered with inscriptions, symbols, other
symbolic and decorative elements, human and animal figures. Their artistic value is very important and
the extraordinary complexity and variety of all of these elements is impressive and provides a level of
intensity and richness of non-canonical (religious) spiritual life, which has not yet been encountered in
comparable form since the time of primitive Christianity.
The specialists determined that the ensemble, once uncovered, cannot remain so without the danger
of rapid degradation because of the fragility of the chalk, the material in which the ensemble in excavated.
The degradations progress very rapidly and in a few years we risk losing everything we can preserve. The
incised surfaces will have disappeared.
Since its discovery, several operations of consolidation, protection and valorization were initiated
but every time they were interrupted because of political, economical and also disregard reasons.
In the present, the physical condition of the ensemble is critical and it is absolutely necessary that
we undertake emergency conservation actions and the construction of an efficient protective structure. All
of these must be part of a complex and continuous strategy of restoration. Furthermore the site is on the
UNESCO World Heritage tentative list for over 20 years.

KEYWORDS: church, chalk, archeology, incised walls, signs, symbols, figurative

representations, pathology
In the 9th to 11th centuries, Dobrogea had become part of the Byzantine Empire one more time, after
a number of centuries of uncertainty and barbarian incursions. The previous Byzantine period, when

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Emperor Justinian launched a grand construction program (see Procopius of Caesareea, De Aedificis),
lasted until the early 7th century, when the Avaric and Slavic invasions caused the Empire to retreat.
The period around the 10th century was one of prosperity, economic and military development.
Dobrogea was a maritime theme (military region of the Empire). New fortresses were built and the
ancient Roman fortresses were amplified (Pcuiul lui Soare, Dervent, Capidava, Carsium-Hrova,
Axiopolis-Cernavod, Dinogeia, etc). The Byzantines also built three waves, large defense walls which
cross Dobrogea from west to east, fortified with towers in certain places. Some of these walls are made
from earth, and one is built from stone. The stones origins can be traced, at least in part, to the Murfatlar
Quarries.
Monumental Ensemble
The rupestral ensemble is part of a Roman quarry, located on the cliff of the Tibisir hill, at the edge
of the town of Murfatlar, twenty kilometers away from Constana. The rock is chalk, an amorphous
calcium carbonate, which is almost pure, soft, highly porous, very hygroscopic and capillary. The massif
which resulted from quarrying made possible the excavation of several chapels, burial chambers and
branched corridors, etc.
The church located on the top of the hill, subsequently named B1, was the first one discovered,
during the opening works of a contemporary rock mining operation, on June 11 th 1957. The operation was
ceased and the archaeological work began. Thus, an entire rupestral religious ensemble was discovered,
after clearing the chalk deposits, various mineral deposits and soils which had accumulated in the last
millennium.
Incised walls
The interior surfaces of the cavities and some exterior surfaces of the quarry walls are covered with
inscriptions, symbols, other symbolic and decorative elements, human and animal figures. All of them are
carved in areas of the chalk which resulted from the excavation, which still bear traces of the tools used
(chisels and different other implements). These inscriptions and images are of exceptional value to
research into the emerging Romanian culture of that period. Their artistic value is also important; the
naive character of the images is associated with a subtle sophistication and complexity, even though the
meaning associated with some of them is not completely uncovered.
Inscriptions are of several types: Greek, Paleoslavic, and many others in an enigmatic type of
writing which resembles turkik runes, still waiting to be decoded. Furthermore, its enigmatic character
gives the site exceptional value. Data is preserved, for example the year 6490 (=982), the Greek
expression Jesus Christ vanquishes or For it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will
be scattered. (Mark 14, 27), I, Aian, the priest ... light candles for my sins and may God have

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mercy on you together with the holy fathers, amen. There are also some Romanian names Petru and
(possibly) Scandinavian Ranepilpe.
Figurative representations show people in the orant position (with arms raised in front), a
schematic representation of the scene of Nativity (first one encountered in Romania), birds (a dove as a
symbol of the Holy Spirit, horses and horsemen, deer, rabbits, and other animals which are hard to
identify. There are also some interesting Scandinavian elements, for example: a long Viking boat with a
sail, helmsman and the paddle-shaped typical rudder, a triple cross, fabled dragons with intertwined
bodies and wolf-like heads, etc.
Signs and symbols are visible on all over the surfaces: a large number of crosses of various
designs: spatula shaped, similar to the Malta cross design of later times, others propeller-shaped, rounded,
inscribed in circles, gamat (or swastika-shaped), X-shaped (similar to Saint Andrews cross), etc. All of
these show a concern for innovation and insight and express some kind of meditation exercise of a
religious nature. Moreover, other images are still visible: mazes (as imago-mundi), Morris (or
Merrills) boards, and different schemes and networks.
The extraordinary complexity and variety of all of these elements is impressive and provides a
level of intensity and richness of non-canonical (religious) spiritual life, which has not yet been
encountered in comparable form since the time of primitive Christianity.
For us, as architects and specialists engaged in the research and preservation project, the meaning
of all the incisions is mostly imprecise and we hope that studies of interpretation will progress. So far, the
impression given by the sites exploration is undoubtedly overwhelming, although the information is still
scattered and mysterious to a certain extent.
The entirely artificial rupestral character of the monastic settlement, together with the unsystematic
and non-canonical representations make us think of primitive Christianity, although the Eastern Church
was already established by that time. There are many things to discover about the spiritual life of this
region, of great importance to the development of the Romanian people, while the Murfatlar ensemble, in
its entire complexity, is essential evidence in this regard, and it must not be allowed to disappear.
It is believed that this rupestral ensemble encompassed two stages of habitation. The first one is
contemporary with quarrying operations and the second one, followed immediately after these operations
had stopped, probably because of the cessation of construction works undertaken by the administration of
the Empire in the region. In the first stage, some chapels were also excavated by the people who were
working in the quarry. The rock massif which contains the chapels B2, B3, B4 protrudes from the
quarrying operations area and it was probably intentionally left in this position. Those three chapels are
the most complex and rich in inscriptions and representations. They are located on three levels and the
religious spaces are vertically interconnected with tunnels and galleries.

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 The chalk block, colloquially called the peninsula, together with the church B1, located on the
top of the cliff, suggests a kind of asceticism, where each chapel is isolated in the community with a
difficult access path. The believers were probably standing outside and observe the religious rituals from
the outside, because of the small capacity of the chapels.
The largest chapel is B4 and it doesnt exceed 7 by 3.5 meters and none exceeds 2 meters in height.
Its spatial configuration is similar to that of a typical church with a nave and narthex, without apses. The
plan contains two interior columns between the narthex and the nave and another two between the nave
and the altar. These generate a kind of iconostasis which is decorated with red curved lines, made with an
encaustic technique. The same technique is used to imitate the joints of a stone wall. The monastic
ensemble was surrounded by a settlement with both a profane and a religious character. Generally the
traces of habitation were found on the outside of the cavities, in spaces like burial chambers and other
galleries.
The settlement was abandoned during the 11th century, following the release from the Empires
administration and the new barbarian invasions. Nevertheless, traces of violent events have not been
found. Some parts of the cavities have collapsed because of the deposits of soil, but the incised surfaces
of the walls were protected due to the fact that they stayed buried in a relatively constant hygrothermal
condition throughout the ages.
The evolution of the ensemble after its discovery
In the summer of 1957 and 1958, the Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest conducted research on
the site of Murfatlar. In 1960, the research continued in parallel to the restoration site opened by the
Division of National Monuments, led by the architects Virgil and Liana Bilciurescu and the engineer
Constantin Pavelescu. Ample restoration work has been undertaken and the pieces have been
reconstructed through anastylosis using structural elements made from reinforced concrete. Injections of
concrete and cement mortar were used to fill the rock fractures. The Peninsula is mostly reconstructed
with concrete, especially the south-western and the upper areas. A concrete slab was placed above the B1
church. The concrete surfaces were covered with white mortar cement or white concrete, poured into the
timber mold. In this way, all the interventions are clearly differentiated and the image is a coherent one.
The specialists determined that the ensemble, once uncovered, cannot remain so without the
danger of rapid degradation because of the fragility of the chalk. The architect Liana Bilciurescu designed
a building made from reinforced concrete, with angular shapes which follow the sites topography
(Structure by eng. L. Spoial). The construction began in the south-western part and covered one third of
the rupestral complex. Then the work suddenly ceased in 1977 because of the abolition of the Division of
National Monuments when all the restoration sites were terminated.

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 This was the first time when the site was abandoned, after discovery and extensive and
ambitious efforts of reconstruction, protection and improvement. It was a tragic period of political assault
on cultural heritage, a phenomenon of deliberate destruction, in peace time, of a violence and magnitude
without precedent.
After this abandoning of the site, the parts not yet covered by the concrete structure remained
protected only by a temporary timber structure, covered with reed panels and asphalting bitumen boards.
A concrete drain remained incomplete on the upper part of the site. Soon enough, the lack of any
maintenance led to the degradation of the temporary structure, the roof broke in many places and the
drain filled with stones and soil from the upstream side of the hill which has a pronounced slope for 20
meters more. In 2003-2005, the building reached a critical stage of degradation, because of the water
infiltrations and evaporation was impossible in the existing conditions. The water has accumulated, the
bacteria proliferated and the decomposition of those organisms provoked important damage (granular and
powdery degradations of incised surfaces are among the most critical). The extreme humidity made
impossible any kind of remedy, because the rock was water-logged and it was not capable of absorbing
any substances for consolidation.
In the area covered by the provisional structure are the most interesting cavities (churches B1, B2,
B3, B4 and vault) and the most precious incised parietal elements. On the other hand, the unfinished
concrete building did not fulfill its protective role either: it is dark, lacks thermal insulation, and is poorly
ventilated. The specialists noticed that it aggravates the situation rather than alleviate it, especially in the
summer when the unprotected concrete heats up from the suns rays.
In the 90 some maintenance operations were completed and there was an intention to continue the
protective structure but the work was abandoned again. The architect Liana Bilciurescu died in 1997. At
the end of the same year, the project was resumed by the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and
Urbanism. This fact is due to a great extent to the insistence of the preeminent personalities of
archaeology, Petre Alexandrescu and Adrian Radulescu, without whom the site would have probably
remained abandoned, as it is today. But let us not anticipate.
At that time I had the good fortune and privilege to work with the structure engineer Constantin
Pavelescu and chemical engineer Ion Istudor and Rodica Donighevici, specialists who worked on this
topic before 1997. We conducted several stages of research and design which ended in a feasibility study,
approved by a Committee of Ministry of Culture in 1999-2000.
The construction of the temporary structure, which almost collapsed, was radically rehabilitated
between 2005-2007, based on a project. The humidity began to drop, bacteria were substantially reduced
and the incised surfaces and the chalk massif could have received treatment back in 2006, which was an

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absolutely necessary step. But nothing was done, a fact which is very dire and difficult to understand after
all the rehabilitation work already accomplished.
That was the second time when the site had been abandoned, since its discovery in 1950. This
time the phenomenon is more difficult to understand and to accept. There are no destructive political
pressures. Furthermore the site is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list for over 20 years. We are
not wealthy, but it is not a catastrophe either.
The 2007 the rehabilitation was very expensive. Since then, with a lot less money, more specific
investigations and treatment tests should have begun. The degradations progress very rapidly and in a few
years we risk losing everything we can preserve. The incised surfaces will have disappeared.
What is happening? Why does nobody seem to care? It is beyond my understanding.
Pathology Mapping
The rock (calcium carbonate) is amorphous and highly sensitive to humidity, frost, salt, etc. The
physical condition of the ensemble is critical. The degradations are intense, and the starting moment of
the damage is relatively recent, mainly due to ceasing of maintenance works from 1977. The situation has
aggravated constantly since 2007.
The carved surfaces were naturally preserved for around 1000 years, having been buried under soil
deposits. Pathology phenomena are the result of corroboration between the negative effects of the
surrounding environment and the micro-climatic factors within the protection structures (as they were
until 2007), as both of them were not properly illuminated, ventilated or heat-insulated. Both structures
tend to amplify the climatic differences through overheating during summer, and enhancing the freeze-
thaw cycle during winter. Degradations of wall faces can be noticed beginning with 1960, from
photographic data.
We have been following the evolution of the ensemble from 1977 up to date and will continue to,
but the patient is in need of intensive therapy. Complex and specialized investigations are necessary.
Not too many, but carefully considered and well understood, according to Professor Ippolito Massari. A
sustained and uninterrupted program is required. If not, we could easily ask ourselves if it wouldnt have
been better to just burry the archeological site back, after it has been discovered, and wait for a future
time when determined people would take a proper course of action.
The main causes of degradation are:
- Water accumulation, before 1977 and until 2007, due to flawed construction of the provisory
structure. Frequent freeze-thaw cycles cause fragmentation (destruction) of the rock massif and
damage to the surfaces. This particular cause has been essentially taken care of in 2006, when the
temporary protection structure was rehabilitated.

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 - Salt crystallization this has a somewhat similar effect to frost: The formation of crystals implies
a powerful mechanical force which breaks the porous structure of the rock, when humidity is
reduced and salt becomes solid. Alternating humidity variation sequences are equally harmful to
temperature variations near the freezing point. Also, this cause of damage has been considerably
reduced in 2006, with the rehabilitation of the temporary protection structure. However,
symptomatic treatments are necessary to fix the existing and still ongoing damage.

- Soluble and crystalline salts that are surely the consequence of the concrete used in the structural
system built between 1960 and 1977, when these incompatibilities were not taken into
consideration, or not known of. We currently study methods of containing these potentially
harmful chemical substances and controlling their flux through the chalk massifs and surfaces.

- Other salts that are generated by the nearby waste mountain (which is sadly increasing its size
on a daily basis) and carried forth by underground water, according to a prior investigation.

- Nitrate accumulation, which is a consequence of massive biologic proliferation, which is also

soluble and forms crystalline salts, but is regressing since the rehabilitation. (the unhealthy
environment favoring these factors has changed and the need for further treatment has
diminished)

To conclude, it is common sense that ambient control is of paramount importance in what concerns
the future, but so is the phased treatment of existing degradations (similar to medicine): emergency
treatment, symptomatic and causal treatment, background and maintenance.
Brief presentation of the protection, preservation, restoration and revaluation project
We are convinced that the need to rescue the ensemble is obvious. The National Historical
Monuments Committee has repeatedly stated this as well. Nevertheless, although the feasibility study
was approved in 2000, this project has also been abandoned.
The main objective is to conceive a new building for protection, with a light structure with supports
outside the limits of the archeological site, which would be reversible in the highest degree possible. It
must be a structure with top level ecological qualities, our ultimate goal being ambient control through
natural means. Therefore, we propose a translucent envelope, made of light, flexible and thermally
insulated material (cellular polycarbonate, for instance). The surfaces which form the envelope will be
detachable, closed them during winter, but with minimum necessary ventilation and opened during
summer, in the lower and upper parts of the structure. This way, ventilation will be activated by solar heat
itself, and during summer, a solar protection with reflective veils will control the heating of rock massifs.
During winter, these veils can be raised (as the veils of a ship), and the thermal contribution of direct and
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diffuse solar radiance would diminish the freeze-thaw sequences, one of the main degradation
mechanisms. Handling these veils could be done twice a year, in the same manner in which the veils of a
ship are handled several times a day, but much easier, under the translucent surface, not in the middle of a
storm.
Thus, the main tasks which the new structure would have to perform, replacing the actual structure,
are as follows:
A.
to ensure an adequate microclimate in order to preserve the ensemble and valuable components,
through solar control during summer, controlled solar contribution and controlled natural
ventilation;

to prevent infiltration of meteoric water (rain, snow, fog, etc.);

to ensure a temperature proper to preservation, as constant as possible, despite seasonally and

diurnal variations;

to ensure acceptable levels of relative humidity, avoiding condensation on the outside surface of
the envelope, as well as on the inside surface and avoiding the freeze-thaw phenomena

to drain meteoric waters from the soil and to avoid additional water infiltration on the site
perimeter by using a draining system at the base of the structure and at the top side of the
mountain slope;

to control capillary water;

to avoid overheating during summer and excessive cooling beyond freezing point during winter;

to control the evolution of microorganisms, fungi, algae and any other biologic pathogenic
factors;

B.
the suggested structure will consist of modular, removable objects;

this structure will probably be made out of laminated wood, properly treated in factory a long
time before being used, in order to avoid emission of substances capable of negative influence on
the interior microclimate; the ambient control devices will be adjustable and adaptable;

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 the new building will have to breathe, ensuring a proper air flow between the interior and the
exterior;

carefully positioned stairs and bridges will provide access to specialists and visitors, in order to
avoid harmful effects on the archeological site;

Hydrologic tasks
The following investigations are suggested:
- 6 drillings with depths of 15 to 20 meters, placed outside the site perimeter, in order to perform
hydro-geologic and geologic research. These drillings will help us study the phreatic level, the
hydro-geologic conditions in the area, water accumulation in the quarry and possible leakage of
waste from the nearby dumping. Also, these drillings will control the geophysical measuring and
will provide probing for altered and fresh rock;

- general physical characteristics analysis, based on probes from the drillings, in order to gain
extended knowledge, especially about micro-fissuring, porosity and capillarity.

The hydro-geologic investigation will provide essential data about site characteristics such as
phreatic water level positioning relative to the architectural object, underground water migration towards
the object, or ascending underground water migration near the object.
Data processing, interpretation and drafting of the final study
The data obtained in the different ways of investigations which are proposed, will be interrelated in
order to obtain the most complex status of the geological state of the monument and surrounding area. All
of them will conduct to the most precise conclusions and recommendation about the geological state of
the whole area which includes our goal, the safe geological area for foundation, which are necessary to
establish the actions for the conservation and protection of the rupestral ensemble.
The improvement of the site will be essential to the intervention strategy. The objective is unique in
Romania and in Europe, and furthermore and it is a reference though its exceptional cultural importance.
Experiencing the site is special and dramatic, in the best sense of the term. It will surely become a point
of attraction for tourism, especially due to its proximity to the sea shore and to the other ancient and
medieval artifacts. Hopefully, the economical context and the environment for tourism will evolve in a
favorable way, in an anticipated future. The vicinity of The Danube-Black Sea Channel is another
advantageous argument, despite all of its historical and social connotations from the past. The channel is a
major element of the landscape and it has the potential to become am important frame to the nautical
tourism. There are also the natural reservation Fntnia and the Murfatlar vineyards in the proximity of
the site.
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 Until then, there are many things to do. The physical condition of the ensemble is critical and the
emergency conservation actions and the construction of an efficient protective structure are absolutely
neccessary. All of these must be part of a complex and argued strategy of restoration.

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