Barsana is a village in Maramures, on the right bank of the river Iza, 20 km off Sighetul Marmatiei. Barsana is one of the wooden churches in Maramures, a beautiful synthesis of Eastern and Western European architecture, with Gothic and Byzantine elements. The first church was built in 1720 with a plan that includes: the gate, the narthex and the nave. The exterior reminds of a hall, but the inside is divided into separated walls according to the traditional Orthodox dogmatic. The narthex is narrow, with low ceiling and flats over the girders. The frescoes are very similar to those of the painted monasteries of Moldavia. This Wooden Church is the only one with double cornice, the Old Monastery, the tallest wooden building in Europe (62 m tall). The church was manually carved by some of the most talented craftsmen from Maramures. No power tools or nails were used to put this impressive construction together. Its beauty and uniqueness made it one of the eight churches in the region that UNESCO designated WORLD HERITAGE site.
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