Having a millenary histrory, this territory comprises many hearths of Dacian civilization from the 5th-3rd cennturies BC, the remnats of the medieval city Sehr al-Cedid, built by Tatar-Mongols in the 14th centrury and the Old Orhei, built by Moldovans in the 15th-16th centuries. In the limestone cliffs there were found Cristian cave monasteries, cells and religious inscriptions made in stone by the monks in the medieval and modern ages. On a straight line, from North-West to South-East, the historical and natural complex has a lengh of 9 km and from South-West to North-East, a width of 1.5 - 4 km. The geologic structure of the area has a rare beauty and special originality, the abrupt versants reaching absolute heights of 170-180 m. In this reserve many archeological vestiges have been found: land wals, adjacent ditches, architectural constructions made of stone, that show the human presence in this area since ancient times and that are organically integrated in the natural environement of Old Orhei area, composing a genuine cultural landscape. The special elements and the uniqueness of the cultural, natural and landscape reserve "Old Orhei"are determined in a great measure by the presence of the cave complexes in the Sarmatian limestone cliffs which are near Butuceni and Trebujeni villages. In total in this area there are known about 350 cave complexes, of which around 100 represent hand carved rooms for the creation of the halidoms for monks, Christian anchorities, and around 100 represent hand carved rooms for the creation of the halidoms for monks, Christian.
