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124-676: Vác is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river, below the bend where the river changes course and flows south. The town is seated at the foot of the Naszály Mountain in the foothills of the Carpathians . Vác is a commercial center as well as a popular summer resort for citizens of Budapest. The Vác Cathedral , built 1761–1777, was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome . The episcopal palace houses

248-469: A pincer movement , and in the center the Hungarian heavy knights and infantry were repulsed and suffered heavy casualties, especially from the well-positioned Ottoman cannons and well-armed and trained Janissary musketeers. The Hungarians could not hold their positions, and those who did not flee were surrounded and killed or captured. Nearly the entire Hungarian royal army was destroyed in about two hours on

372-524: A Spanish diplomat. Some other diplomats also abandoned diplomatic protocol and rescued Jews. There are two monuments for Wallenberg, one for Carl Lutz and one for Giorgio Perlasca in Budapest. Following the capture of Hungary from Nazi Germany by the Red Army , Soviet military occupation ensued, which ended only in 1991. The Soviets exerted significant influence on Hungarian political affairs. In 1949, Hungary

496-502: A breakdown of communication between Louis and his brother-in-law, Archduke Ferdinand. Ferdinand was unaware of the urgency of the situation. To make the matter worse, Louis and the Hungarian court failed to inform him that they had decided to fight a decisive battle on the plain of Mohács (this decision was made on 26 August, one day before Ferdinand's departure: in a conference in Louis's camp in Bata,

620-570: A church, the Inner City Parish Church (Budapest) . The minaret and Turkish entranceway were removed. The shape of the architecture is its only hint of exotic past—"two surviving prayer niches facing Mecca and an ecumenical symbol atop its cupola: a cross rising above the Turkish crescent moon". After 1686, the Baroque architecture designated the dominant style of art in catholic countries from

744-693: A defensive position. The question was who could force the other to start the attack on the battlefield, that is, to attack positions that could then be defended with cannons and arquebuses. The currently known division of the Hungarian army by arms includes: 3,000 armoured knights from the Hungarian noble banderiums , the king's bodyguard (1,000 armoured knights), 4,500 light cavalry (mainly hussars of Serbian origin), 6,700 mainly Hungarian infantry, 5,300 papal infantry (mainly German Landsknechte , but Italian and Spanish contingents were also represented in smaller numbers) and 1,500 Polish infantry, with an unknown number of artillerymen. Available data do not allow

868-635: A detailed reconstruction of the rest of the army. The geography of the area meant that the Hungarians could not know the Ottomans' ultimate goal until the latter crossed the Balkan Mountains , and when they did, the Transylvanian and Croatian forces were farther from Buda than the Ottomans were. Contemporary historical records, though sparse, indicate that Louis preferred a plan of retreat, in effect ceding

992-501: A law against the export of Hungarian-made arquebuses for the Ottoman Empire. Contrary to popular belief, the Hungarian infantry was so well equipped with arquebuses that, it had an unusually high firepower in a comparison with contemporary Western European standards. Both armies faced a tactical challenge, namely that they could not move their firepower very well. As a result, they were only able to use it effectively if they fired from

1116-527: A museum for Roman and medieval artifacts. The city is also known for its 18th-century arch of triumph and for its beautiful baroque city center. Settlement in Vác dating as far back as the Roman Empire has been found. The origin of its name is debated. One hypothesis says that the name comes from a Hungarian tribal name "Vath". It has been the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric since the 11th century. Bishops from

1240-636: A politically united people. The resulting degradation of order paved the way for Ottoman pre-eminence. King Louis II of Hungary married Mary of Habsburg in 1522. The Ottomans saw this Jagiellonian–Habsburg marital alliance as a threat to their power in the Balkans and worked to break it. After Suleiman I came to power in Constantinople in 1520, the High Porte made the Hungarians at least one and possibly two offers of peace. For unclear reasons, Louis refused. It

1364-638: A rapid increase in the average temperature. The weather in late March and in April is often very agreeable during the day and fresh at night. Budapest's long summer – lasting from May until mid-September – is warm or very warm. Sudden heavy showers also occur, particularly in May and June. The autumn in Budapest (mid-September until late October) is characterised by little rain and long sunny days with moderate temperatures. Temperatures often turn abruptly colder in late October or early November. Mean annual precipitation in Budapest

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1488-408: A tactical challenge, namely that they could not move their firepower very well. As a result, they were only able to use them effectively if they fired from a defensive position. The question was who could force the other to start the attack on the battlefield, that is, to attack positions that could then be defended with cannons and arquebuses. Only half of the jannisaries used arquebuses and muskets,

1612-529: A transitional climate between a humid temperate climate ( Köppen : Cfa , Trewartha : Doak ), and a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfa , Trewartha : Dcao ), with warm to hot summers and chilly winters. Winter (November until early March) can be cold and the city receives little sunshine. Snowfall is fairly frequent in most years, and nighttime temperatures of −10 °C (14 °F) are not uncommon between mid-December and mid-February. The spring months (March and April) see variable conditions, with

1736-415: A wide range of styles and from distinct time periods, from the ancient times as Roman City of Aquincum in Óbuda (District III), which dates to around 89 AD, to the most modern Palace of Arts , the contemporary arts museum and concert hall. Most buildings in Budapest are relatively low: in the early 2010s there were around 100 buildings higher than 45 metres (148 ft). The number of high-rise buildings

1860-457: A year before the end of World War II , Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids (first attack 4 April 1944 ). From 24 December 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the Battle of Budapest . Budapest sustained major damage caused by the attacking Soviet and Romanian troops and the defending German and Hungarian troops. More than 38,000 civilians died during

1984-520: Is a blend of several architectural styles, with a focus on Hungary's specialities. One of the leading Art Nouveau architects, Ödön Lechner (1845–1914), was inspired by Indian and Syrian architecture as well as traditional Hungarian decorative designs. One of his most beautiful buildings in Budapest is the Museum of Applied Arts . Another examples for Art Nouveau in Budapest is the Gresham Palace in front of

2108-752: Is a global city with strengths in commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. Hungary's financial centre , Budapest is also the headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology , the European Police College and the first foreign office of the China Investment Promotion Agency . Over 40 colleges and universities are located in Budapest, including Eötvös Loránd University , Corvinus University , Semmelweis University , University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest and

2232-519: Is a wedge with a 56 angle degree made in rusted iron that gradually becomes shiny, ending in an intersection to symbolize Hungarian forces that temporarily eradicated the Communist leadership. From the 1960s to the late 1980s Hungary was often satirically referred to as " the happiest barrack " within the Eastern bloc , and much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired. Work on Erzsébet Bridge ,

2356-429: Is around 23.5 inches (596.9 mm). On average, there are 84 days with precipitation and 1988 hours of sunshine (of a possible 4383) each year. From March to October, average sunshine totals are roughly equal to those seen in northern Italy ( Venice ). The city lies on the boundary between Zone 6 and Zone 7 in terms of the hardiness zone . Weather Atlas (UV) Budapest has architecturally noteworthy buildings in

2480-538: Is both a city and municipality , forms the centre of the Budapest metropolitan area , which has an area of 7,626 square kilometres (2,944 square miles) and a population of 3,303,786. It is a primate city , constituting 33% of the population of Hungary. The history of Budapest began when an early Celtic settlement transformed into the Roman town of Aquincum , the capital of Lower Pannonia . The Hungarians arrived in

2604-411: Is difficult to defend a plain. King Béla IV of Hungary , therefore, ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361 it became the capital of Hungary. The cultural role of Buda was particularly significant during the reign of King Matthias Corvinus . The Italian Renaissance had a great influence on

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2728-512: Is found. Various cultures converged in Hungary seemed to coalesce well with each other, as if all these different cultures and architecture styles are digested into Hungary's own way of cultural blend. A precedent to show the city's self-conscious is the top section of the city's main square, named as Szechenyi . When Turks came to the city, they built mosques here which was aggressively replaced with Gothic church of St. Bertalan. The rationale of reusing

2852-500: Is kept low by building legislation, which is aimed at preserving the historic cityscape and to meet the requirements of the World Heritage Site . Strong rules apply to the planning, authorisation and construction of high-rise buildings and consequently much of the inner city does not have any. Some planners would like see an easing of the rules for the construction of skyscrapers, and the possibility of building skyscrapers outside

2976-613: Is possible that Louis was well aware of Hungary's situation (especially after the Ottomans defeated Persia in the Battle of Chaldiran (1514) and the Polish-Ottoman peace from 1525) and believed that war was a better option than peace. Even in peacetime, the Ottomans raided Hungarian lands and conquered small territories (with border castles), but a final battle still offered Louis a glimmer of hope. Accordingly, another Ottoman–Hungarian war ensued, and in June 1526 an Ottoman expedition advanced up

3100-403: Is said to have lamented: "I came indeed in arms against him; but it was not my wish that he should be thus cut off before he scarcely tasted the sweets of life and royalty." The result was catastrophic for the Hungarians, with their lines advancing into withering fire and flank attacks, and falling into the same trap that John Hunyadi had so often used successfully against the Ottomans. Beside

3224-539: The -s- is pronounced /ʃ/ as in wash ; in IPA: Hungarian: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] . The origins of the names "Buda" and "Pest" are obscure. Buda was Linguistically, however, a German origin through the Slavic derivative вода ( voda , water) is not possible, and there is no certainty that a Turkic word really comes from the word buta ~ buda 'branch, twig'. According to a legend recorded in chronicles from

3348-515: The Aromanian diaspora during the 19th century. In 1918, Austria-Hungary lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic ( Republic of Hungary ). In 1920 the Treaty of Trianon partitioned the country, and as a result, Hungary lost over two-thirds of its territory, and about two-thirds of its inhabitants, including 3.3 million out of 15 million ethnic Hungarians. In 1944,

3472-453: The Battle of Southern Buh , settled in the territory at the end of the 9th century displacing the founding Bulgarian settlers of the towns of Buda and Pest, and a century later officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary . Research places the probable residence of the Árpáds as an early place of central power near what became Budapest. The Tatar invasion in the 13th century quickly proved it

3596-638: The Budapest University of Technology and Economics . Opened in 1896, the city's subway system, the Budapest Metro , serves 1.27 million, while the Budapest Tram Network serves 1.08 million passengers daily. The central area of Budapest along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has several notable monuments of classical architecture , including

3720-545: The Chain Bridge linking Buda with Pest was opened as the first permanent bridge across the Danube and in 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Old Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. The dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. Ethnic Hungarians overtook Germans in the second half of the 19th century due to mass migration from

3844-499: The Croatian count Christoph Frankopan , numbering around 5,000 men. The Ottomans deployed the largest field artillery of the era, comprising some 300 cannons, while the Hungarians had only 85 cannons, though even this number was greater than other contemporary Western European armies deployed on the battlefields during the major conflicts of Western European powers. The number of regular professional paid soldiers ( Kapıkulu ) employed by

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3968-578: The Danube above the hot springs, and he ordered all the old buildings that he found there to be restored and he built them in a circular and very strong wall that in the Hungarian language is now called Budavár [Buda Castle] and by the Germans Etzelburg [Attila Castle] There are several theories about Pest. One states that the name derives from Roman times , since there was a local fortress ( Contra-Aquincum ) called by Ptolemy "Pession" ("Πέσσιον", iii.7.§ 2). Another has it that Pest originates in

4092-456: The Danube . In the early 1500s, Vladislav II (ruled 1490–1516), Louis II and Croatian nobles repeatedly asked Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I for help, but during Maximilian's reign, assistance for Hungary remained a plan. After the first chain of fortresses fell however, assessing the threat to his own provinces, Archduke Ferdinand (later Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I ) made a significant effort to help his brother-in-law. When Nándorfehérvár

4216-772: The Danube Promenade , both designed by architect Frigyes Feszl (1821–1884). Another noteworthy structure is the Budapest Western Railway Station , which was designed by August de Serres and built by the Eiffel Company of Paris in 1877. Art Nouveau came into fashion in Budapest by the exhibitions which were held in and around 1896 and organised in connection with the Hungarian Millennium celebrations. Art Nouveau in Hungary ( Szecesszió in Hungarian)

4340-660: The Habsburg monarchy 's wars against the Ottomans, the Austrians won victories against the Turks at Vác in 1597 and in 1684 . After the Great Turkish War , Vác was rebuilt and repopulated. This re-population was both spontaneous and planned. According to the Truce of Zsitvatörök, Habsburg control of the fortress at Vác (also known as Vacz) was maintained, and its repair was sanctioned. During

4464-532: The Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848 and was defeated one and a half years later, with the help of the Russian Empire. 1867 was the year of Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary . This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest , lasting until World War I . In 1849

4588-476: The High Porte throughout the Ottoman Empire did not exceed 15,000–16,000 men in the first third of the 16th century. During this time Suleiman could raise an army between 50,000–60,000 for campaigns. The Ottomans obtained most of the arquebuses for their janissary army from Hungarian and Venetian gunsmiths. This phenomenon was so widespread and severe, that in 1525 the Hungarian Parliament had to pass

4712-611: The Hungarian Parliament and the Buda Castle . The city also has around 80 geothermal springs , the largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue , and third largest Parliament building in the world. Budapest attracts around 12 million international tourists per year, making it a highly popular destination in Europe. The previously separate cities of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest were officially unified in 1873 and given

4836-741: The Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-49 , the Honvédség routed the Austrian forces stationed in the city after a major battle (April 10, 1849); the Second Battle of Vác ended in Russian victory (July 17). During World War II , Vác was captured on 8 December 1944 by Soviet troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Budapest Offensive . According to the 1910 census,

4960-659: The Matthias Church , where much of the original material was used (originally built in Romanesque style in 1015). The next chapter in the history of human architecture is Renaissance architecture . One of the earliest places to be influenced by the Renaissance style of architecture was Hungary, and Budapest in particular. The style appeared following the marriage of King Matthias Corvinus and Beatrice of Naples in 1476. Many Italian artists, craftsmen and masons came to Buda with

5084-521: The Middle Ages , "Buda" comes from the name of its founder, Bleda , brother of Hunnic ruler Attila . Attila went in the city of Sicambria in Pannonia, where he killed Buda , his brother, and he threw his corpse into the Danube . For while Attila was in the west, his brother crossed the boundaries in his reign, because he named Sicambria after his own name Buda's Castle. And though King Attila forbade

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5208-594: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vác were influential within the Kingdom of Hungary , with many serving as chancellors or later becoming archbishops. On 17 March 1241, due to the attack of Mongols the population was slaughtered and Mongols set up camp there. After the departure of the Mongols, Vác was rebuilt and German colonists were invited to the town. The town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541. During

5332-648: The Sava and Drava Rivers. At Mohács the Hungarians numbered some 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers. The only external help was a small contingent of Polish troops (1,500 soldiers and knights) led by the royal captain Lenart Gnoiński (but organized and equipped by the Papal State). The Ottoman army numbered perhaps 50,000, though some contemporary and modern-day historians put the number of the Ottoman troops at 100,000. Most of

5456-505: The absolutist King Matthias Corvinus in 1490, the Hungarian magnates , who did not want another heavy-handed king, procured the accession of the notoriously weak-willed King Vladislaus of Bohemia , who reigned as King Vladislaus II of Hungary from 1490 to 1516. He was known as King Dobře (or Dobzse in Hungarian orthography), meaning "all right", for his habit of accepting, without question, every petition and document laid before him. The freshly-elected King Vladislaus II donated most of

5580-466: The arquebuses for their janissary army from Hungarian and Venetian gunsmiths. This phenomenon was so widespread and severe, that in 1525 the Hungarian Parliament had to pass a law against the export of Hungarian-made arquebuses for the Ottoman Empire. Contrary to popular belief, the Hungarian infantry was so well equipped with arquebuses that, it had an unusually high firepower in a comparison with contemporary Western European standards. Both armies faced

5704-561: The 14th century and No. 31 Úri Street, which has a Gothic façade that dates back to the 15th century. Other buildings with Gothic features are the Inner City Parish Church , built in the 12th century, and the Mary Magdalene Church, completed in the 15th century. The most characteristic Gothic-style buildings are actually Neo-Gothic , like the most well-known Budapest landmarks, the Hungarian Parliament Building and

5828-523: The 17th century to the 18th century. There are many Baroque-style buildings in Budapest and one of the finest examples of preserved Baroque-style architecture is the Church of St. Anna in Batthyhány square . An interesting part of Budapest is the less touristy Óbuda, the main square of which also has some beautiful preserved historic buildings with Baroque façades. The Castle District is another place to visit where

5952-521: The 1980s, the city's population reached 2.1 million. In recent times a significant decrease in population occurred mainly due to a massive movement to the neighbouring agglomeration in Pest county , i.e., suburbanisation. In the last decades of the 20th century the political changes of 1989–90 ( Fall of the Iron Curtain ) concealed changes in civil society and along the streets of Budapest. The monuments of

6076-442: The 21st century, Budapest faces new challenges in its architecture. The pressure towards the high-rise buildings is unequivocal among today's world cities, but preserving Budapest's unique cityscape and its very diverse architecture, along with green areas, forces Budapest to balance between them. The Contemporary architecture has wide margin in the city. Public spaces attract heavy investment by business and government also, so that

6200-413: The 525 square kilometres (203 square miles) occupied by the city, 83 square kilometres (32 square miles) is green area, park and forest. The forests of Buda hills are environmentally protected. The city's importance in terms of traffic is very central, because many major European roads and European railway lines lead to Budapest. The Danube was and is still an important water-way and this region in

6324-509: The Balkans. As the first of Suleiman's troops, the Rumelian army, advanced onto the battlefield, they were attacked and routed by Hungarian troops led by Pál Tomori. This attack by the Hungarian right caused considerable chaos among the irregular Ottoman troops, but even as the Hungarian attack pressed forward, the Ottomans rallied with the arrival of Ottoman regulars deployed from the reserves. While

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6448-584: The Battle of Bicocca (1522), King Francis I of France tried – unsuccessfully – to ally himself with King Sigismund I of Poland . The Hungarian royal court also rejected the French offer. However, John Zápolya, the Voivode of Transylvania , showed a willingness to cooperate with the French, although the formal treaty was not signed until 1528. King Francis I of France was defeated at the Battle of Pavia on 24 February 1525 by

6572-472: The Budapest radio station and demanded to publish their demands. The regime ordered troops to shoot into the crowd. Hungarian soldiers gave rifles to the demonstrators who were now able to capture the building. This initiated the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 . The demonstrators demanded to appoint Imre Nagy to be Prime Minister of Hungary . To their surprise, the central committee of the " Hungarian Working People's Party " did so that same evening. This uprising

6696-605: The Chain Bridge, the Hotel Gellért , the Franz Liszt Academy of Music or Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden . It is one of the world's outstanding urban landscapes and illustrates the great periods in the history of the Hungarian capital. UNESCO The second half of the 20th century also saw, under the communist regime, the construction of blocks of flats ( panelház ), as in other Eastern European countries. In

6820-633: The European princes for help, but only King Henry VIII of England offered aid (which arrived only in 1527 to Queen Mary of Hungary in Pozsony) and the Pope offered 50,000 gold pieces, while neither Charles V nor Ferdinand Habsburg (Archduke of Austria, the Hungarian king's brother-in-law) did anything. The fact is that the Habsburgs' armies were still on the battlefields of Italy. The general apathy that had characterized

6944-418: The Habsburg pressure on France, in 1525 Francis asked Suleiman to make war on the Holy Roman Empire, and the road from Turkey to the Holy Roman Empire led across Hungary. The request of the French king coincided well with the ambitions of Suleiman in Europe and gave him an incentive to attack Hungary in 1526, leading to the Battle of Mohács. At the news of the war, the young King Louis II of Hungary appealed to

7068-461: The Hungarian hand cannon "Szakállas puska" in the 15th century. Hungary had a long tradition of unusually extensive use of handheld firearms ( arquebus ) as early as the 15th century, for example in the famous Black Army of the late ruler King Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458 - 1490). The Hungarians abandoned the use of the bow and crossbow completely in the last decade of the 15th century and switched entirely to firearms. The Ottomans obtained most of

7192-434: The Hungarian right advanced far enough at one time to place Suleiman in danger from Hungarian bullets that struck his cuirass , the superiority of the Ottoman regulars and the timely charge of the Janissaries overwhelmed the attackers, particularly on the Hungarian left. The Hungarians took serious casualties from the skillfully handled Turkish artillery and musket volleys. The Hungarian army was surrounded by Ottoman cavalry in

7316-450: The Hungarian royal estates, régales , and royalties to the nobility. Thus the king tried to stabilize his new reign and preserve his popularity among the magnates. Given the naive fiscal and land policy of the royal court, the central power began to experience severe financial difficulties, largely due to the enlargement of feudal lands at royal expense. The noble estate of the parliament succeeded in reducing their tax burden by 70–80%, at

7440-428: The Huns and the other peoples to call that city Buda's Castle, but he called it Attila's Capital, the Germans who were terrified by the prohibition named the city as Eccylburg, which means Attila Castle, however, the Hungarians did not care about the ban and call it Óbuda [Old Buda] and call it to this day. The Scythians are certainly an ancient people and the strength of Scythia lies in the east, as we said above. And

7564-438: The Ottoman Balkan forces registered before this battle were described as Bosnians or Croats. The Hungarian army was arrayed to take advantage of the terrain and hoped to engage the Ottoman army piecemeal. They had the advantage that their troops were well-rested, while the Turks had just completed a strenuous march in scorching summer heat. The earliest type of Turkish hand cannons are called as "Şakaloz", which word came from

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7688-422: The Pálvölgyi cave (total length 7,200 m or 23,600 ft) and the Szemlőhegyi cave (total length 2,200 m or 7,200 ft). The hills were formed in the Triassic Period. The highest point of the hills and of Budapest is János Hill , at 527 metres (1,729 feet) above sea level . The lowest point is the line of the Danube which is 96 metres (315 feet) above sea level. Budapest is also rich in green areas. Of

7812-416: The Slavic word for cave, пещера , or peštera . A third cites пещ , or pešt , referencing a cave where fires burned or a limekiln. The first settlement on the territory of Budapest was built by Celts before 1 AD. It was later occupied by the Romans . The Roman settlement – Aquincum – became the main city of Pannonia Inferior in 106 AD. At first it was a military settlement, and gradually

7936-476: The Turks advanced up the Danube River and took Nándorfehérvár (present-day Belgrade , Serbia ) – the strongest Hungarian fortress on the Danube – and Szabács (now Šabac , Serbia). This left most of southern Hungary indefensible. The loss of Nándorfehérvár caused great alarm in Hungary. On October 18, 1523, the Hungarian aristocrats united for the recapture of Belgrade, pledging funds that would support an army of 60,000 troops and 100 cannons—an undertaking that

8060-602: The V. district is in the very center of Pest and inaugurates a new circle that then loops back through Pest to Buda as the VI., VII., VIII., IX., XI., and XII. districts. Districts XIII., XIV., XV., XVI., XVII., XVIII., XIX., XX., XXI., and XXII. form yet another semicircle in outermost Pest. Districts X. and XXIII. form irregularities within the overall pattern. Battle of Moh%C3%A1cs Ottoman victory Ottoman Empire Mediterranean The Battle of Mohács ( Hungarian: [ˈmohaːt͡ʃ] ; Hungarian : mohácsi csata , Turkish : Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı)

8184-421: The agglomeration in Pest county. The capital extends 25 and 29 km (16 and 18 mi) in the north–south, east–west direction respectively. The Danube enters the city from the north; later it encircles two islands, Óbuda Island and Margaret Island . The third island Csepel Island is the largest of the Budapest Danube islands, however only its northernmost tip is within city limits. The river that separates

8308-447: The aid funds he had brought, arguing that: "if the Hungarians were capable of assembling such an enormous force, then they had no need for the money." The huge 60,000-strong royal army – led by the king, but recruited too late and too slowly – neglected to take food along and bad organization of logistics. Therefore, the army disbanded spontaneously under pressure from hunger and disease without even trying to recapture Belgrade from

8432-423: The approaching danger, did not immediately heed their king's call for troops. Eventually, the Hungarians assembled in three main units: the Transylvanian army under John Zápolya , charged with guarding the passes in the Transylvanian Alps , with between 8,000 and 13,000 men; the main army, led by Louis himself (beside numerous Spanish, German, Czech, and Serbian mercenaries); and another smaller force, commanded by

8556-422: The base of the former Islamic building mosque and reconstruction into Gothic Church but Islamic style architecture over it is typically Islamic are still visible. An official term for the rationale is spolia . The mosque was called the djami of Pasha Gazi Kassim, and djami means mosque in Arabic. After Turks and Muslims were expelled and massacred from Budapest, the site was reoccupied by Christians and reformed into

8680-439: The battle marked the end of the Jagiellonian dynasty in Hungary and Bohemia, whose dynastic claims passed to the House of Habsburg . During the battle, the Ottomans utilised the firearm kneeling position, the first of its kind , with 200 tüfenks ( muskets ) forming "nine consecutive rows and they fired their weapons row by row" in a "kneeling or standing position without the need for additional support or rest". This method

8804-401: The battlefield. During the retreat, the twenty-year-old king died when he fell backwards off his horse while trying to ride up a steep ravine of the Csele stream. He fell into the stream and, weighed down by his armor, was unable to stand up, and drowned. Suleiman the Magnificent expressed regret at the death of his young adversary. Upon encountering the lifeless body of King Louis, the Sultan

8928-893: The best examples are the Hungarian National Museum , the Lutheran Church of Budavár (both designed by Pollack) and the seat of the Hungarian president , the Sándor Palace . The most iconic and widely known Classicist-style attraction in Budapest is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge . Budapest's two most beautiful Romantic architecture buildings are the Great Synagogue in Dohány Street and the Vigadó Concert Hall on

9052-508: The best-known landmark Buda Royal Palace and many other buildings were built in the Baroque style. The Classical architecture and Neoclassical architecture are the next in the timeline. Budapest had not one but two architects that were masters of the Classicist style. Mihály Pollack (1773–1855) and József Hild (1789–1867), built many beautiful Classicist-style buildings in the city. Some of

9176-950: The centre of the Pannonian Basin , lies on an ancient route linking the hills of Transdanubia with the Great Plain. By road it is 216 kilometres (134 mi) south-east of Vienna , 545 kilometres (339 mi) south of Warsaw , 1,565 kilometres (972 mi) south-west of Moscow, 1,122 kilometres (697 mi) north of Athens , 1,235 kilometres (767 mi) north-east of Rome , 788 kilometres (490 mi) north-east of Milan , 443 kilometres (275 mi) south-east of Prague , 343 kilometres (213 mi) north-east of Zagreb , 748 kilometres (465 mi) north-east of Split and 1,329 kilometres (826 mi) north-west of Istanbul . The 525 square kilometres (203 sq mi) area of Budapest lies in Central Hungary , surrounded by settlements of

9300-679: The centre of the Carpathian Basin lies at the cross-roads of trade routes . Budapest is one of only three capital cities in the world which has thermal springs (the others being Reykjavík in Iceland and Sofia in Bulgaria ). Some 125 springs produce 70 million litres (15,000,000 imperial gallons; 18,000,000 US gallons) of thermal water a day, with temperatures ranging up to 58 Celsius. Some of these waters have been claimed to have medicinal effects due to their high mineral contents. Budapest has

9424-597: The chancellor Stephen Brodarics advised the king to wait for reinforcements from Austria and Bohemia, but a group of impetuous nobles managed to persuade the king to engage in an open, immediate battle on the plains of Mohacs against the numerically superior Ottomans). Ferdinand, facing religious tensions and uprisings in his own lands as well as his brothers' requests for more troops for other theaters, decided to tend to what he thought to be more urgent affairs first. According to Stephen Fischer-Galati, that literature shows that Louis himself seemed to be unable to fully understand

9548-571: The city center in its broadest sense, corresponding roughly to the 1873 municipal boundaries. Budapest's districts are numbered according to three concentric semicircles. The I. district is a small area in central Buda, including the Castle Quarter . District II. is in Buda to the castle's northwest while district III. stretches along the northernmost part of Buda and includes the former Óbuda. District IV. continues this semicircle in northernmost Pest, but

9672-585: The city has gained entirely new (or renovated and redesigned) squares, parks and monuments, for example the city central Kossuth Lajos square , Deák Ferenc square and Liberty Square . Numerous landmarks have been created in the last decade in Budapest, like the National Theatre , Palace of Arts, Rákóczi Bridge , Megyeri Bridge , Budapest Airport Sky Court among others, and millions of square meters of new office buildings and apartments . But there are still large opportunities in real estate development in

9796-651: The city rose around it, making it the focal point of the city's commercial life. Today this area corresponds to the Óbuda district within Budapest. The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters , baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp. The Roman city of Aquincum is the best-conserved of the Roman sites in Hungary . The archaeological site was turned into a museum with indoor and open-air sections. The Magyar tribes led by Árpád , forced out of their original homeland north of Bulgaria by Tsar Simeon after

9920-595: The city's XXI. district—are part of neither Buda nor Pest. All varieties of English pronounce the -s- as in the English word pest . The -u in Buda- is pronounced either /u/ like food (as in US : / ˈ b uː d ə p ɛ s t / ) or /ju/ like cue (as in UK : / ˌ b ( j ) uː d ə ˈ p ɛ s t , ˌ b ʊ d -, ˈ b ( j ) uː d ə p ɛ s t , ˈ b ʊ d -/ ). In Hungarian,

10044-606: The city's historic core has been raised. In the chronological order of architectural styles Budapest is represented on the entire timeline, starting with the Roman City of Aquincum representing ancient architecture . The next determinative style is the Gothic architecture in Budapest. The few remaining Gothic buildings can be found in the Castle District. Buildings of note are no. 18, 20 and 22 on Országház Street, which date back to

10168-608: The city. Contemporary Budapest is divided into 23 districts (Hungarian: kerületek , sg. : kerület ), each with a mayor and municipal government elected separately from the general municipal government. The districts and the general municipal government have constitutionally and legally defined, non-overlapping areas of competence. Each district has a municipally recognized name, some of which correspond to how locals call that area or neighborhood (e.g., Belváros , V. district; Terézváros , VI. district), others which (e.g., Újbuda , XI. district) are neologisms. Street signs display

10292-582: The city. His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana , was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second in size only to the Vatican Library . After the foundation of the first Hungarian university in Pécs in 1367 ( University of Pécs ), the second one was established in Óbuda in 1395 ( University of Óbuda ). The first Hungarian book

10416-453: The city. These were great examples of Ottoman architecture , which was influenced by Muslims from around the world including Turkish, Iranian, Arabian and to a larger extent, Byzantine architecture as well as Islamic traditions. After the Holy League conquered Budapest, they replaced most of the mosques with churches and minarets were turned into bell towers and cathedral spires. At one point

10540-588: The conflict. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. The stone lions that have decorated the Chain Bridge since 1852 survived the devastation of the war. Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross Party , during the German occupation of Hungary , from 1944 to early 1945. Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz rescued tens of thousands of Jews by issuing Swiss protection papers and designating numerous buildings, including

10664-410: The considerably larger Pest spreads out on a flat and featureless sand plain on the river's opposite bank. Pest's terrain rises with a slight eastward gradient, so the easternmost parts of the city lie at the same altitude as Buda's smallest hills, notably Gellért Hill and Castle Hill. The Buda hills consist mainly of limestone and dolomite, the water created speleothems , the most famous ones being

10788-503: The country forced Tomori to lean on his own bishopric revenues when he started to repair and reinforce the second line of Hungary's border defense system. ( Pétervárad would fall to the Turks on July 15, 1526, due to the chronic lack of castle garrisons.) Three years later, an Ottoman army set out from Constantinople on 16 April 1526, led by Suleiman the Magnificent personally. The Danube River

10912-401: The country to Ottoman advances, rather than directly engaging the Ottoman army in open battle. The Hungarian war council – without waiting for reinforcements from Croatia and Transylvania only a few days march away – made a serious tactical error by choosing the battlefield near Mohács, an open but uneven plain with some swampy marshes. Fichtner writes that before the Battle of Mohács, there was

11036-440: The dictatorship were removed from public places, into Memento Park . In the first 20 years of the new democracy, the development of the city was managed by its mayor, Gábor Demszky . In October 2019, opposition candidate Gergely Karácsony won the Budapest mayoral election , meaning the first electoral blow for Hungary's nationalist prime minister Viktor Orbán since coming to power in 2010. Budapest, strategically placed at

11160-456: The distinct sloping central square in Budapest became a bustling Oriental bazaar, which was filled with "the chatter of camel caravans on their way to Yemen and India". Budapest is in fact one of the few places in the world with functioning original Turkish bathhouses dating back to the 16th century, like Rudas Baths or Király Baths . Budapest is home to the northernmost place where the tomb of influential Islamic Turkish Sufi Dervish, Gül Baba

11284-517: The district and that neighborhood's colloquial name. The latter are often the names of villages that were gradually annexed to the city (e.g., Sashalom , Budafok ) or of superseded administrative units of former boroughs. After the unification of Buda, Pest, and Óbuda in 1873, Budapest initially had 10 districts. It was during the interwar period that Károly Szendy 's 1934-1944 mayoral administration first seriously considered annexing peripheral towns and villages. This only came about, however, after

11408-704: The expense of the country's ability to defend itself. Vladislaus became the magnates ' helpless "prisoner"; he could make no decision without their consent. Europe's largest standing mercenary army (the Black Army ) of Matthias Corvinus was dissolved by the aristocracy. The magnates also dismantled the national administration systems and bureaucracy throughout the country. The country's defenses sagged as border-guards and castle garrisons went unpaid, fortresses fell into disrepair, and initiatives to increase taxes to reinforce defenses were stifled. Hungary's international role declined, its political stability shaken; social progress

11532-455: The first king of Scythia was Magog, son of Japhet, and his people were called Magyars [Hungarians] after their King Magog, from whose royal line the most renowned and mighty King Attila descended, who, in the 451st year of Our Lord's birth, coming down from Scythia , entered Pannonia with a mighty force and, putting the Romans to flight, took the realm and made a royal residence for himself beside

11656-437: The king, some 1,000 other Hungarian nobles and leaders were also killed. It is generally accepted that more than 14,000 Hungarian soldiers were killed in the initial battle. Suleiman could not believe that this small, suicidal army was all that the once powerful country could muster against him, so he waited at Mohacs for a few days before moving cautiously against Buda. On 31 August, 2,000 Hungarian prisoners were massacred on

11780-621: The last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1964. In the early 1970s, Budapest Metro 's east–west M2 line was first opened, followed by the M3 line in 1976. In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites . Andrássy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway , Hősök tere , and Városliget ) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002. In

11904-576: The most modest parish had to turn to the merchants of Augsburg." The Fugger family controlled the distribution of the Roman Catholic Church's indulgences , which, among other reasons, soon led to an international scandal and then to strong social unrest. After 1517, European public opinion became increasingly preoccupied and divided by the Reformation launched by Martin Luther. The religious upheaval

12028-463: The need for additional support or rest". This method was later adopted by the Chinese , with writer Zhao Shizhen deeming Turkish muskets superior to European ones. Volley fire with matchlocks was also first used in this battle by Janissaries . The Ottomans deployed the largest field artillery of the era, comprising some 300 cannons, while the Hungarians had only 85 cannons, though even this number

12152-435: The new name Budapest . Before this, the towns together had sometimes been referred to colloquially as "Pest-Buda". Pest is often used pars pro toto for the entire city in contemporary colloquial Hungarian, although it is also used to refer to all parts of the city east of the Danube. Conversely, Buda colloquially means all districts to the Danube's west—including the former Óbuda. The Danube islands—including Csepel ,

12276-483: The new queen. Today, many of the original renaissance buildings disappeared during the varied history of Buda, but Budapest is still rich in renaissance and neo-renaissance buildings, like the famous Hungarian State Opera House , St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences . During the Turkish occupation (1541–1686), Islamic culture flourished in Budapest; multiple mosques and baths were built in

12400-483: The newly installed Turkish garrisons. In 1523, Archbishop Pál Tomori , a valiant priest-soldier, was made captain of Southern Hungary. In Europe, especially in Germany, negative trends had started to unfold. The Fuggers, who had taken control of the finances, "by around 1503 had a veritable monopoly of 'favoritism' in Germany, Hungary, Poland and Scandinavia, to the extent that any priest who wanted to get access to even

12524-455: The next few years, all of the former Hungarian lands, except areas near Temesvár ( Timișoara ), were taken from the Turks. In the 1699 Treaty of Karlowitz , these territorial changes were officially recognized as the end of the rule of the Turks, and in 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule . The 19th century was dominated by the Hungarian struggle for independence and modernisation. The national insurrection against

12648-638: The now famous Glass House (Üvegház) at Vadász Street 29, to be Swiss protected territory. About 3,000 Hungarian Jews found refuge at the Glass House and in a neighboring building. Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews in Budapest by giving them Swedish protection papers and taking them under his consular protection. Wallenberg was abducted by the Russians on 17 January 1945 and never regained freedom. Giorgio Perlasca , an Italian citizen, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews posing as

12772-701: The number of Christians was down to about a thousand, and by 1647 it had fallen to only about seventy. The unoccupied western part of the country became part of the Habsburg monarchy as Royal Hungary . In 1686, two years after the unsuccessful siege of Buda , a renewed campaign was started to enter Buda. This time, the Holy League 's army was twice as large, containing over 74,000 men, including German , Croat , Dutch , Hungarian, English, Spanish, Czech , Italian, French, Burgundian , Danish and Swedish soldiers, along with other Europeans as volunteers, artillerymen , and officers. The Christian forces seized Buda, and in

12896-408: The other half still belonged to the traditional archery. The Ottomans have no numerical superiority regarding to handheld firearms during the battle of Mohács. During the battle, the Ottomans utilised the firearm kneeling position, the first of its kind , with 200 tüfenks ( muskets ) forming "nine consecutive rows and they fired their weapons row by row" in a "kneeling or standing position without

13020-477: The overpopulated rural Transdanubia and Great Hungarian Plain . Between 1851 and 1910 the proportion of Hungarians increased from 35.6% to 85.9%, Hungarian became the dominant language, and German was crowded out. The proportion of Jews peaked in 1900 with 23.6%. Due to the prosperity and the large Jewish community of the city at the start of the 20th century, Budapest was often called the "Jewish Mecca" or "Judapest". Budapest also became an important center for

13144-504: The religious make-up of the town was the following: Vác is twinned with: Budapest Budapest is the capital and most populous city of Hungary . It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second largest city on the Danube river. The city has an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres (203 square miles). Budapest, which

13268-774: The rise of state communism in Hungary . In 1950, for reasons of social and industrial policy—including the Hungarian Working People's Party 's desire to proletarianize the traditionally right-wing suburbs—7 cities with county rights and 16 towns were annexed to the capital to form contemporary Greater Budapest (Hungarian: Nagy-Budapest ). This reorganized the city into 22 districts, a number that grew to 23 after Soroksár seceded from Pesterzsébet in 1994. The contemporary city thus consists of 6 districts in Buda, 16 in Pest, and Csepel . Today, districts I., II., XI., and XII. in Buda and V., VI., VII., VIII., and IX. in Pest make up

13392-551: The seriousness or immediacy of the Turkish threat. It was possible that Louis based his confidence on the assurances of John Zápolya and his supporters, who promised to help. Magnates who feared Habsburg interference desired a total Hungarian effort to either contain (militarily or diplomatically) or reach a truce with the Porte. The Ottomans had advanced toward Mohács almost unopposed. While Louis waited in Buda, they had besieged several towns ( Petervarad , Ujlak , and Eszek ), and crossed

13516-464: The territory in the late 9th century, but the area was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241–42. Re-established Buda became one of the centres of Renaissance humanist culture by the 15th century. The Battle of Mohács , in 1526, was followed by nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule. After the reconquest of Buda in 1686, the region entered a new age of prosperity, with Pest-Buda becoming a global city after

13640-492: The troops of the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V . After several months in prison, Francis I was forced to sign the Treaty of Madrid . In a watershed moment in European diplomacy, Francis formed a formal Franco-Ottoman alliance with Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent as an ally against Charles V. The French-Ottoman strategic, and sometimes tactical, alliance lasted for about three centuries. To relieve

13764-414: The two parts of the city is 230 m (755 ft) wide at its narrowest point in Budapest. Pest lies on the flat terrain of the Great Plain while Buda is rather hilly. The wide Danube was always fordable at this point because of a small number of islands in the middle of the river. The city has marked topographical contrasts: Buda is built on the higher river terraces and hills of the western side, while

13888-483: The unification of Buda, Óbuda and Pest on 17 November 1873, with the name 'Budapest' given to the new capital. Budapest also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , a great power that dissolved in 1918, following World War I . The city was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Battle of Budapest in 1945, as well as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 . Budapest

14012-489: The unified leadership that the ban had held until that time. Alfred Kohler opines that the coordination effort attempted by Ferdinand, Mary and Louis failed because the young Hungarian king showed a lack of vigour, which was also recognized by Hungarian nobles. Mary, on the other hand, was much more decisive and vigorous, but the non-Hungarian advisors she relied on created distrust. The Hungarians had long opposed Ottoman expansion in southeastern Europe, but in 1521

14136-513: Was an anti-Soviet revolt that lasted from 23 October until 11 November. After Nagy had declared that Hungary was to leave the Warsaw Pact and become neutral, Soviet tanks and troops entered the country to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until mid November, leaving more than 3000 dead. A monument was erected at the fiftieth anniversary of the revolt in 2006, at the edge of the City Park . Its shape

14260-408: Was an extremely important transport route for the Ottoman army in the region, so it was clear to everyone that the Ottoman army would follow the line of the Danube. For about 400 km (250 mi) along the banks of the Danube between Pétervárad and Buda there was no single Hungarian fortification, town, or even a village of any sort. The Hungarian nobles, who still did not realize the magnitude of

14384-410: Was an unprecedentedly huge and costly military force by contemporary European standards. The opinion of the papal legate in the Hungarian royal court, January of 1524 I note that by raising an army of 60,000, the Hungarian government effectively scored an 'own goal', losing numerous financial supporters from Western Europe. Even the papal legate, by the end of January 1524, denied the disbursement of

14508-418: Was being besieged, he summoned his estates and proposed sending troops to Hungary. In the end, 2,000 German infantry troops were sent. From 1522 to the 1526 defeat at Mohács, field troops from Austria frequently arrived but were not placed into fortresses at the border as regular garrisons yet. Even though this military aid purportedly strengthened this area of the border, it had the undesired effect of dissolving

14632-746: Was compounded by the German Peasants' War of 1524–1526, which mobilised considerable forces and, in addition to the material damage, caused more than 100,000 deaths. Between 1521 and 1526, the Western European powers were preoccupied with the current episode of the Italian wars (which lasted from 1494 to 1559, with minor interruptions). France first sought allies in Eastern Europe against Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. French envoy Antonio Rincon visited Poland and Hungary several times between 1522 and 1525. After

14756-470: Was deadlocked. The arrival of Protestantism further worsened internal relations in the country. In 1514, the weakened and old King Vladislaus II faced a major peasant rebellion led by György Dózsa , which was ruthlessly crushed by the nobles , led by John Zápolya . After the Dózsa Rebellion, the brutal suppression of the peasants greatly aided the 1526 Turkish invasion as the Hungarians were no longer

14880-421: Was declared a communist People's Republic ( People's Republic of Hungary ). The new Communist government considered the buildings like the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed (also see Stalin era ). On 23 October 1956 citizens held a large peaceful demonstration in Budapest demanding democratic reform. The demonstrators went to

15004-528: Was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács , Kingdom of Hungary , between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II , and those of the Ottoman Empire , led by Suleiman the Magnificent . The Ottoman victory led to the partition of Hungary for several centuries between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg monarchy , and the Principality of Transylvania . Further, the death of Louis II as he fled

15128-475: Was greater than other contemporary Western European armies deployed on the battlefields during the major conflicts of Western European powers. The Hungarian deployment for battle consisted of two lines. The first had a center of mercenary infantry and artillery and the majority of the cavalry on either flank. The second was a mix of levy infantry and cavalry. The rest of the Ottoman force consisted of feudal Timarli cavalry and conscripted levies from Rumelia and

15252-406: Was later adopted by the Chinese , with writer Zhao Shizhen deeming Turkish muskets superior to European ones. Volley fire with matchlocks was also first used in this battle by Janissaries . It has been argumented that the size of the Ottoman army was the main reason for the defeat of the well-armed Hungarian army, which could not withstand an enemy three times its size. After the death of

15376-461: Was printed in Buda in 1473. Buda had about 5,000 inhabitants around the year 1500. The Ottomans conquered Buda in 1526, as well as in 1529, and finally occupied it in 1541. The Ottoman Rule lasted for more than 150 years. The Ottoman Turks constructed many prominent bathing facilities within the city. Some of the baths that the Turks erected during their rule are still in use 500 years later, including Rudas Baths and Király Baths . By 1547

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