A piece of Turkey in Budapest - Ottoman heritage

While strolling the streets of Budapest, there are so many hidden gems on the way, we are not even aware of. I'm showing you a part of the Turkish heritage here. Did you know, that we used to be occupied by the Ottoman Empire for nearly 150 years starting in the 16th century till the expulsion of the Turks in 1686. As the consequence of these years, many things have changed and got influenced by the huge empire. Even though it all happened centuries ago, we still can see some memories of the Turks all around the country. We have some words that come from that era, for instance coffee (kávé), oats (árpa), mourning (gyász), brave (bátor). I"m showing you my favorite sights I just discovered since I live in Budapest. Don't ever miss the chance to visit these places, pretty unique!

Veli Bej - the luxurious Turkish bath

My absolute Nr 1 is this hidden, small spa complex at the foot of the Margaret bridge on the Buda side, right next to the Lukács Bath. It's very rare to have an original Turkish bath dating back to the 16th century. It was one of the most luxurious and modern one at that time. There are more well-known ones with Turkish origins like Rudas or Király Bath in Budapest, but this Veli Bej is something really special.  The bath was commissioned by a pasha. You can still see the original pipes that were found by the archeologists.

I visited the place with my friends, we had so much fun. My first impression was that it's peaceful and not crowded at all, the reason behind it is that there is always a limited number of people who can enter at the same time, plus the spa is closing due to cleaning works from noon till 3 pm, afterwards it's open till 9 pm. Hot rooms, steam saunas, jacuzzi, everything you can wish for during the cold months, the roof windows let the interior illuminate with natural light, pure bliss! Highly recommended to try it during your stay!

Tomb of Gül Baba - the Islamic holy place

A good 10 minute walk from the Veli Bej bath, you will find the tomb, that you can access easily from the Gül Baba street. Just climb the stairs and you will have a picturesque view on the neighborhood, when you reach the top. Gül baba was originally a Turkish "dervish" (member of a Muslim religious order) of Sultan Suleiman, who participated in the Ottoman invasion and he was probably killed during the fights. His tomb is an important symbol of the Turkish - Hungarian reconciliation.

Gül Baba street

View from the Tomb

It's a huge complex that combines the Ottoman architecture with some Hungarian influence: romantic style, Mediterranean colors, beautiful arcades.

The tomb is surrounded by a romantic, rose garden, the whole area has been restored just recently, it's official opening is the end of September. It will be operating as a museum. The place is a little bit off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit!

Király Bath and an old mosque

If you walk from the tomb down to the Batthyány square, close to the Danube, you will find Fő street, walk there and you will bomb into two Turkish sights again. Under Fő utca 84. you will find another Turkish bath, quite neglected though inside, outside.  I hope it will be restored in the future, it could be the next spacious, new spa in Budapest.

Towards the Buda Castle, right on this street (Fő street 32.) you will see a beautiful church, that has nothing Turkish at the first sight. But if you see the side walls, you will realize the old Turkish architecture, at least the prayer place and some window frames. This church, like most of the churches during the Ottoman occupation, got transformed into a mosque, part of the old mihrab (the prayer niche) can still be seen on the side walls. I was so impressed by that!

I hope you learned something new and once you visit Hungary, you will look for these special places! Would you like to read more articles on hidden gems in Budapest? Please let me know and follow my blog on FACEBOOk and Instagram @uandstyleblog!