The Preservation of Ottoman Monuments in Hungary: Historical Overview and Present Endeavours

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the central territory of Hungary was occupied by the Ottoman Empire. This long occupation resulted in the creation of what are the northernmost examples of Ottoman architecture in a cultural environment framed by non-Muslim structures. Since 1699, when the Ottoman Empire lost its influence over its Hungarian territories, Islamic religious buildings became private property or came under the maintenance of the Church or monastic orders. In 2013, an extraordinary process began: with the official cooperation and the financial support of the Republics of Turkey and Hungary, experts from both countries initiated projects to preserve and restore the Ottoman monuments in Hungary. Although a similar approach had been adopted in many countries in the Balkan Peninsula - for example in Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo, this was one of the first attempts at an institutionalised, global dialogue on the preservation and restoration works of Islamic sacral heritage within both Hungary and the European Union. This article presents the history of the preservation and restoration works of Ottoman heritage in Hungary. In addition, some of the unique structural features are outlined as these will be taken into consideration during present and future restoration efforts.