The Orthodox Church “Saints Michael and Gabriel” in the center of Turda was built between 1926-1935 on a land donated by the Romanian Church United with Rome. The style is the NeoByzantine one with architectural elements specific to the Romanian architectural styles. The elements of originality are represented by the use of two distinct architectural elements. The first element is the bell tower, made in the form of an Oltenian tower, a tribute to the ruler Mihai Viteazul who managed the first political union of the Romanian principalities and was assassinated near Turda. The second element is the use of the support model of the vaults in the Moldavian style developed during the reign of Steven the Great, which led to the realization of an opening in 5.40 m diameter of the central tower.
The architect who made the plans for this monumental building was Ioan Traianescu, the interior painting and icons being the work of some famous church painters of the time: Paul Molda and Gheorghe Belizarie. Inside the church there is a large mural painting depicting King Carol II of Romania in the uniform of a mountain hunting general with the cape of the Order of Michael the Brave – this order being the most important military distinction of war offered by the Romanian state.
