“History is a cyclic poem written by time upon the memories of man.”
Percy Bysshe Shelley

On the 18thMay 2024 the night of museums was held in Sibiu. For this event all guests are invited to set foot into the museums to discover all sorts of exhibits, ranging from works of art to medieval gear.

On the night of the museums everybody is invited to learn about the past. The museums are opened to the public entry-free, so that the people may have a learning experience, even without investing a lot of money. One of these chances to learn is the tour organized by the ASTRA library.

The Astra Park guided tour

A tour was organized by the ASTRA library on the day of the event. The objective of the tour was to showcase the history of Sibiu. It took place 3 times during that day, starting from the entrance to the ASTRA library building B. The first time it started was at 6 PM, the second time at 8 PM and the third time at 10 PM. The tour guide is the manager of the ASTRA Library Răzvan C. Pop. The tour was a walk through ASTRA Park, during which the guide recounted the history of the city, Sibiu.

Throughout the event

The event started in front of the ASTRA library body B, at 18 o’clock all the participants were before the library. The tour began with a short walk to the first spot in the park. There the guide started talking about the history of Sibiu, there were 3 more such spots. During the presentation made by the guide about the old city all people were quiet, they were surrounding the guide forming a circle while they were fully focused on the guide. In the park only the guide and the sound of leaves could be heard. At the end of the tour the guide asked if we have any questions and some questions were asked, to which the guide gave a clear response. People began to go explore other museums and they slowly left. The guide also left in order to get some rest before the next tour. The first tour ended at around half past seven PM.

The history of the city

The city of Sibiu has a rich history of about 830 years since it was first mentioned in official documents in 1191, which gave the city an individual political entity. In the Medieval Sibiu, four fortifications were built. The first one was the one enclosing the Huet Square, which took 33 years to build and was finished in 1224. The second fortification was the one enclosing the Little Square, which was finished in the 1241. The next fortification was that of the Upper Town which finished in the year 1366 and took 9 years to finish, rendering Huet Market fortification useless. The last one, separating the Lower Town from the Upper Town, was finished in the year 1457.

People’s opinions about the event

The guide of the tour, Răzvan C. Pop, loves taking part in such events. He mentioned "it is my passion to tell interested individuals about the story of his city."

Arba Carlos, a person who participated in the event, says that such events are interesting. He also recommends cultural events, because he thinks they are beneficial to all of us and help us discover our origins. He also thinks that outdoor events are more interactive and unusual, because of the environment, and thus they can help us learn more while also knowing them for a prolonged time.