​Golia Monastery is an important place of worship in the city of Iași, named after the great logophate Ioan Golia, the first founder. It is located in Târgul Cucu. The monastery's patron saint is "The Ascension of the Lord". The ecclesiastical settlement at Golia looks like a typical medieval fortress. Golia was first a church of myrrh and became a monastery around 1604. Golia Monastery was dedicated to the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, on January 20, 1606, by Ana Golia, the logophate's wife, and by their son Mihail.

The monastery is surrounded by a high wall, equipped at the corners with turrets erected in 1667 and a bell tower (restored around 1900) and about which Paul of Aleppo stated that "it has no equal in height, width and beauty". The walls of the enclosure are 9 m high and over 1 m thick, with a support belt inside, which was once patrolled. Today, a house with columns from the 18th century is still preserved in the enclosure, where Ion Creangă also temporarily lived when he was a deacon in Golia. Near the tower there is also a fountain from the time of Alexandru Moruzi. The Golia Tower is 30 meters high. Visitors who want to have a panorama of the city must climb the 120 steps. With a square base of 5 meters on each side, a ground floor, two vaulted floors, a room of bells, an upper gallery and terraces, the tower is one of the symbols of Iași.

The cornice is surmounted by a unique composition, the roof being guarded by seven towers, unique in model, but differentiated from each other, which attests, the assumption that they were built gradually, in different stages, also influenced by restorations. The total height of the church is about 30 meters, the length is 40 meters and the width is 13 meters. The Golia Tower is 30 meters high. The visitor who wants to have a panorama of the city must climb the 120 steps. With a square base of 5 meters on the sides, a ground floor, two vaulted floors, a bell room, an upper gallery and terraces, the tower is one of the symbols of Iași. Near the tower there is also a fountain from the time of Alexandru Moruzi.

Vasile Lupu, restored between years 1650-1653 and completed in 1660 by his son Stefanita, it is completely different from the specifics of Moldavian Orthodox churches, both in terms of construction and architecture. The current church represents a combination of styles, especially Renaissance and Byzantine,

In 1687 the army of King John Sobieski set it on fire but it was rebuilt shortly and in 1693 it was the setting for the wedding of the ruler of Moldavia, Constantin Duca, with the daughter of Constantin Brâncoveanu, ruler of Wallachia and in 1696 it was the place of the wedding of the ruler of Moldavia, Antioch Cantemir.

In 1770 Golia served as a fortification, in the context of a Russian-Turkish war.

In the following period, Golia was left with the task of, in the event of an imminent war, providing shelter to the population that gathered in behind the defensive walls, bringing their belongings and important documents.

During the time of Alexandru Moruzi Vodă (1802-1806), in the courtyard of the Golia Church, near the entrance tower, a "water house" was built. Here, water from the Ciric springs was brought through the oleane pipe and distributed to the entire city.

For a period, Golia was used as a hospice for the mentally ill (end of the 17th century - mid-19th century).

In a building within Golia, there were the Iași City Archives, an institution founded by Gheorghe Asachi and then led by the poet Vasile Alecsandri. Later, the Iași State Archives operated here, then moved to the new building in Copou.

The church has a porch, narthex, nave and altar (there is a dividing wall between the narthex and nave). The mural painting in the narthex is from the 19th century. Here, on the right, the logophate Ioan Golia is presented, followed by his family, and the face of Prince Ieremia Movilă, and on the left, the face of Prince Vasile Lupu with his family. The painting in the nave belongs to the 17th century, the others are from 1838.

In the church of Golia Monastery, there are four bronze candlesticks donated by prince Vasile Lupu, brought from Denmark and paid for in silver, two silver candles, a 17th-century chandelier (in the narthex) with the coat of arms of Moldova and the double-headed eagle.

Also here, in the church, is an icon of the Mother of God to which, over time, miraculous powers to cure mental illnesses and epilepsy have been attributed.

Fallen into ruin after secularization (1863), the monastery was closed between 1900-1947, then becoming a parish church until 1992, when it regained its ancient destination.

Today the monastery hosts the Trinitas Missionary Cultural Institute, thus seeking to strengthen the communion between the tradition of hesychast prayer and Romanian culture.

Golia Monastery is not only a place of prayer, but also an important cultural center, hosting various religious and cultural events that attract the local community and tourists alike.