Orbán, Erdogan inaugurate renovated Turkish tomb

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday inaugurated the renovated 16th century tomb of Gül Baba, a dervish, a poet and soldier sent to Buda in 1541 by Sultan Suleiman.

Gül Baba was born in a “gallant era when the great sons of our nations fought each other”, Orbán said. The heroism of those “battles with changing outcomes should remind us of the greatness of our nations,” Orbán said.

Hungarian memorials are well cared for in Turkey, and Hungary wishes to return the favour by renovating the tomb in Budapest, he said.

Erdogan pledged to take steps to strengthen Turkish-Hungarian friendship in culture and economy.

The Ottoman Empire occupied Hungary between 1526-1686, leaving a lasting linguistic, cultural and architectural impact. The Castle of Buda was freed from Ottoman rule in 1686 and the tomb of Gül Baba was used as a Jesuit chapel until the 20th century.

In 1987, the Hungarian government financed the building of an Islamic Centre and Mosque in the area.

Featured image: MTI

Source: MTI