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All Romania Sibiu Sibiu's Houses with Eyes

Sibiu's Houses with Eyes

Something's watching you.

Sibiu, Romania

Added By
poppyoana
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  Tao Tao Holmes / Atlas Obscura
  Tao Tao Holmes / Atlas Obscura
Houses with eyes.   lucianf/CC BY 2.0
  Tao Tao Holmes / Atlas Obscura
The houses in Sibiu are watching you.   poppyoana / Atlas Obscura User
Houses with eyes.   lucianf/CC BY 2.0
Houses with eyes.   taver/CC BY-ND 2.0
Houses with eyes.   brianj.lowe/CC BY 2.0
Houses with eyes.   poppyoana / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  Taterchips / Atlas Obscura User
House with Eyes on Fő tér   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Houses with eyes in Sibiu   Vladimir Popov
Houses with eyes in Sibiu   Vladimir Popov
Houses with eyes.   taver/CC BY-ND 2.0
Sibiu.   poppyoana / Atlas Obscura User
Houses with eyes.   brianj.lowe/CC BY 2.0
Houses with eyes.   taver/CC BY-ND 2.0
Houses with eyes.   Thomas Timlen/CC BY 2.0
  Taterchips / Atlas Obscura User
  petrolwife / Atlas Obscura User
  Taterchips / Atlas Obscura User
The houses with the eyes in the Small Square of Sibiu   GGU / Atlas Obscura User
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About

While walking around Sibiu, Romania, you’ll start to notice something a bit odd. You may even get the sense that someone—or something—is watching you. While you gaze at the city’s architecture, you’ll start to realize the houses are staring back.

Many of the houses on the south and east sides of the city look as though they have eyes peering from their roofs. These cartoonish features give the impression that the buildings (much like Sibiu’s notorious party crowd) never sleep.

Though the eyes may look like some sort of sinister Big Brother surveillance program, they’re actually just oddly shaped windows. Houses use them as a ventilation system for their attics, which were used to store products needing a dry environment. Most of the “eyes” were built between the 15th and 19th centuries.

Despite their practical purposes, some like to claim these peepers were built to instill fear in people, letting them know they were always being watched and to behave accordingly. When dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu was in power, this architectural detail felt extra disturbing to the citizens. It wasn't enough that phones were being tapped, people were being questioned, and families were blacklisted. It’s as if the houses were watching their every move, too.

And now, though Ceauşescu is long gone, the eyes are still there, as they have been for centuries. Unblinking, unmoving, and always observing.

Related Tags

Houses Architecture Architectural Oddities Rooftops Spies Homes

Know Before You Go

The GPS coordinates lead to Piața Mare, a plaza with prime views of the houses and their eyes. Talk, look around, and see what is looking back at you. Sibiu is included in the Romania: Castles, Ruins, and Medieval Villages trip.

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Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights

Discover Romania's Medieval Castles & Culture.

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Community Contributors

Added By

poppyoana

Edited By

irino4ka, ovidiuneacsu, GGU, Jaszmina Szendrey...

  • irino4ka
  • ovidiuneacsu
  • GGU
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • SEANETTA
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Taterchips
  • petrolwife

Published

October 19, 2017

Edit this listing

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Sources
  • http://www.viacapitalevendu.com/blogue/en/under-sibius-watchful-eyes/
  • https://www.hecktictravels.com/romania-eyes
  • http://adventurousmiriam.com/sibiu-romania/
  • http://www.wheretwogoto.com/sibiu-romania-the-city-where-the-houses-do-not-sleep/
  • https://romania-tours.travel/destination/best-tours-from-sibiu/
Sibiu's Houses with Eyes
Piața Mare
Sibiu
Romania
45.796623, 24.151421
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Pharmacy Museum of Sibiu

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sibiu

Sibiu

Romania

Places 3

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Explore the Destination Guide

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