Szigetvár
Encyclopedia
Szigetvár is a town
in Baranya County
in southern Hungary
.
was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár
in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province
(1566–1601), later in Kanije Province (1601–1689).
There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times. The Castle of today was built on an artificial island - created by filling up the swampy area and driving the stream into a canal - in the 15th century. If you walk along the top of its external walls, 4 m thick at some places, you can get great views of the town. The bridge over the inner moat stands at the place where Nikola Šubić Zrinski
and his soldiers broke out of the inner castle. The equestrian statue of Zrinski
(*Zrin
in today Croatia, around 1508. - †Szigetvár, 7. September 1566.) commemorates the self-sacrifice of the heroic captain of the castle. It is said that the Turks built up the mosque of sultan Suleiman I and the minaret
beside it - only part of the latter can be seen today - in the honour of their sultan, perished in the siege, in twenty days after invading the castle. The former Andrássy
Palace, hosting the exhibitions of 'Zrínyi Miklós Museum' on the history of the castle, is also next to them.
Some other monuments in the town also date back to Turkish
times. Two years after the siege, the mosque
of Ali Pasha was built up, later - in 1788 - to be transformed into a Christian church: the Roman Catholic parish church. The two minarets, as well as the windows and niches with ogee arches indicate its original function. The Turkish House of red raw brick walls and interlaced steel window grills in Bástya Street was originally destined to be a caravanserai
. The two holy-water basins of the Franciscan
Church were made of Turkish washbasins. The carved main altar of the Baroque
Church is another sight to see.
In 1966, on the 400th anniversary of the siege, Szigetvár regained its old rank of a chartered ancient city. Development began to gather speed. Today it has a population of 12,000. In October 2011, the city received the title Civitas Invicta from the Hungarian Parliament.
Along with the cannery and the shoe factory, more and more small-size private businesses offer new jobs to local people. The town has a regional hospital with 450 beds, several primaries and secondary schools, a student hostel for 100 persons as well as a music school.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Baranya County
Baranya (county)
Baranya is the name of an administrative county in present Hungary, in the Baranya region, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary ....
in southern 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...
.
History
The town's fortressMedieval fortification
Medieval fortification is military methods of Medieval technology that covers the development of fortification construction and use in Europe roughly from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Renaissance...
was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár
Battle of Szigetvár
The Siege of Szigetvár or Battle of Szigeth was a siege of the Szigeth Fortress in Baranya which blocked Suleiman's line of advance towards Vienna in 1566 AD...
in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province
Budin Province, Ottoman Empire
Budin Eyalet was an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans...
(1566–1601), later in Kanije Province (1601–1689).
There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times. The Castle of today was built on an artificial island - created by filling up the swampy area and driving the stream into a canal - in the 15th century. If you walk along the top of its external walls, 4 m thick at some places, you can get great views of the town. The bridge over the inner moat stands at the place where Nikola Šubić Zrinski
Nikola Šubic Zrinski
Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
and his soldiers broke out of the inner castle. The equestrian statue of Zrinski
Nikola Šubic Zrinski
Nikola Šubić Zrinski , was a Croatian nobleman and general in service of Habsburg Monarchy, ban of Croatia from 1542 to 1556, and member of the Zrinski noble family...
(*Zrin
Zrin
Zrin is a village in Croatia, Sisak-Moslavina county.In the past it was the seat of Croatian noble family Šubić. Later they called themselves Zrinski, after Zrin. It was a strong point of Croatian defence in the Ottoman wars. There are still ruins of Zrin Castle in the village. In World War II the...
in today Croatia, around 1508. - †Szigetvár, 7. September 1566.) commemorates the self-sacrifice of the heroic captain of the castle. It is said that the Turks built up the mosque of sultan Suleiman I and the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
beside it - only part of the latter can be seen today - in the honour of their sultan, perished in the siege, in twenty days after invading the castle. The former 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...
Palace, hosting the exhibitions of 'Zrínyi Miklós Museum' on the history of the castle, is also next to them.
Some other monuments in the town also date back to Turkish
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...
times. Two years after the siege, the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
of Ali Pasha was built up, later - in 1788 - to be transformed into a Christian church: the Roman Catholic parish church. The two minarets, as well as the windows and niches with ogee arches indicate its original function. The Turkish House of red raw brick walls and interlaced steel window grills in Bástya Street was originally destined to be a caravanserai
Caravanserai
A caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
. The two holy-water basins of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Church were made of Turkish washbasins. The carved main altar of the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Church is another sight to see.
In 1966, on the 400th anniversary of the siege, Szigetvár regained its old rank of a chartered ancient city. Development began to gather speed. Today it has a population of 12,000. In October 2011, the city received the title Civitas Invicta from the Hungarian Parliament.
Along with the cannery and the shoe factory, more and more small-size private businesses offer new jobs to local people. The town has a regional hospital with 450 beds, several primaries and secondary schools, a student hostel for 100 persons as well as a music school.