Monok
Encyclopedia
Monok is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
, Hungary
and is part of the Tokaj wine region
.
12 km (7 mi) away. Neighbouring villages are Golop
5 km (3 mi) away, Legyesbénye
7 km (4 mi) away and Tállya
7 km (4 mi) away.
The Zemplén Mountains
have two sides: on the north Vilvitány Hill, on the south Szerencs Hill. The village lies in the valley between the two.
Although the north is mountainous the south is lower lying at around 300 metre. On the north and south slopes there are fields and vineyards whose wines compete with those from Tokaj
, and the fields bordering the vineyards offer a beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains
.
, or the earlier Hungarian invasion .
The first record of the village is in 1392 and the Monaky family owned it in the 13th century . The name of the village comes from Slavic
monoh meaning "monk
". During the Ottoman Empire
the village was razed and in 1567 it was recorded as being just barren fields. Towards the end of this century the village was reinhabited and around 1570 a small castle was built in the Renaissance style
. Later, the village was owned by the Andrássy
family who renovated the castle, but because it was too small they built another nearby in the Classical style
.
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and is part of the Tokaj wine region
Tokaj-Hegyalja
Tokaj-Hegyalja is a historical wine region located in southeastern Slovakia and northeastern Hungary. Hegyalja means "foothills" in Hungarian, and this was the original name of the region....
.
Geography
The nearest town is SzerencsSzerencs
Szerencs is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies away from Miskolc.-History:Szerencs was first mentioned in the Middle Ages. In the 15th century it was already a town, its owners were the Rákóczi family...
12 km (7 mi) away. Neighbouring villages are Golop
Golop
Golop is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary.- External links :*...
5 km (3 mi) away, Legyesbénye
Legyesbénye
Legyesbénye is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County in northeastern Hungary.-References:...
7 km (4 mi) away and Tállya
Tállya
Tállya is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 45 kilometres from county seat Miskolc, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district.-Geography:Tállya is located at . According to the 2001 Census the village has a total area of ....
7 km (4 mi) away.
The Zemplén Mountains
Zemplén Mountains
Zemplén Mountains or Tokaj Mountains is a mountain range in Hungary.Its highest peak is the Nagy-Milic at 894 metres above sea level. The range is part of the North Hungarian Mountains within the Carpathian Mountains. Its steep peaks are the bases for many medieval stone castles, such as the...
have two sides: on the north Vilvitány Hill, on the south Szerencs Hill. The village lies in the valley between the two.
Although the north is mountainous the south is lower lying at around 300 metre. On the north and south slopes there are fields and vineyards whose wines compete with those from Tokaj
Tokaj
Tokaj , is a historical town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 54 kilometers from county capital Miskolc. It is the centre of the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district where the world famous Tokaji wine is produced.- History :...
, and the fields bordering the vineyards offer a beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...
.
History
It is not certain when the village was established, but it was some time during the Mongol invasion of EuropeMongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
, or the earlier Hungarian invasion .
The first record of the village is in 1392 and the Monaky family owned it in the 13th century . The name of the village comes from Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
monoh meaning "monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
". During the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
the village was razed and in 1567 it was recorded as being just barren fields. Towards the end of this century the village was reinhabited and around 1570 a small castle was built in the Renaissance style
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
. Later, the village was owned by the Andrássy
Andrássy
Andrássy is the name of an aristocratic family of very ancient lineage prominent in Hungarian history.The full family name is "Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka"; "Csíkszentkirály" is a town in modern-day Romania now called Sâncrăieni, while Krásna Hôrka is a castle in Slovakia.The...
family who renovated the castle, but because it was too small they built another nearby in the Classical style
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
.
Ethnicity
93% of the population is Hungarian, with the remaining 7% being of Romany origin.Traditions
- Monok holds a summer fairFairA fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
on the second Sunday of every September called fair, to which people from far and wide make a pilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
. - Each August the renovated Monaky Castle holds a "Renaissance Castle Day", when people wear period dress and perform archery and stage marionetteMarionetteA marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
shows. There is also a market and a beerBeerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
tent, which also serves cauldrons of goulashGoulashGoulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
and soft drinkSoft drinkA soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s.
Landmarks
- Lajos KossuthLajos KossuthLajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
's birthplace - Andrássy Castle
- Renaissance Castle (small)
- War memorialWar memorialA war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
s - Kálvária fairground
- Roman CatholicRoman Catholicism in HungaryThe Roman Catholic Church in Hungary is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....
church, renovated in 2005 - Lake Ingvár
- Many old houses with verandas in several architectural styles
- Szécheny family mausoleumMausoleumA mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
.
Famous people
- Lajos KossuthLajos KossuthLajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva was a Hungarian lawyer, journalist, politician and Regent-President of Hungary in 1849. He was widely honored during his lifetime, including in the United Kingdom and the United States, as a freedom fighter and bellwether of democracy in Europe.-Family:Lajos...
, leader of Hungary, was born in Monok on 19 September 1802 - Miklós NémethMiklós NémethMiklós Németh served as Prime Minister of Hungary from November 24, 1988 to May 23, 1990. He was one of the leaders of the Socialist Workers' Party, Hungary's Communist party, in the tumultuous years that led to the collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe.As Prime Minister, Németh took...
, Hungarian Prime Minister, was born in Monok on 24 January 1948
External links
- Edit Tamás: Monok (in Hungarian)
- European Wine Routes website (in Hungarian)
- Aerial photographs of Monok (in Hungarian)
- Association of Castles of Upper Hungary – Monok (in Hungarian)
- Monok – Portal (in Hungarian)
- Street map at terkepcentrum.hu (in Hungarian)