A dreamy viewpoint

It was that kind of a morning, when inspiration suddenly hits you, and one clue leads to another. My friend wanted to meet up close to Margit Bridge and while looking for the exact location on the map, some words in Turkish attracted my attention. I immediately googled the name and texted my friend to meet directly on spot – which turned out to be one of the most beautiful and peculiar spots in this city.
Walking up “Mosque” street, you gradually get catapulted back in time and away from the city’s noise and busyness. While your heartbeat rises walking up the hill, as it often happens on the Buda side of town, your surroundings turn into a park with rose bushes more or less taken care of. On the top of this seemingly small hill, so close to the main street but yet hidden, lies the tomb of Gülbaba.
Gülbaba, a Turkish dervish who came to Hungary under the Ottoman rule, was an anecdotal man - as signs reveal in three languages.
I was fascinated to find such a beautiful yet unobtrusive plunge into Muslim and Turkish culture in Budapest. Gülbaba’s main legacy to the modern city was to provide a beautiful name to the district that today houses Hungary’s rich and famous (Rózsadomb – Rose Hill). Historically, the place went through an exciting series of ownership changes that are vividly explained by the security guard who is the only person working there. You can ask him anything about the place, ranging from the tomb’s history to the material of the tiles and pillars. The Turkish café is closed for renovation, so you could spice up your visit here – especially if it is a romantic one – by bringing some food and drinks for a picnic. My friend’s perspective on the place was a more visual one: the hill does not seem that high when climbing up, but the views reveal a stunning mixture of old and new, green and urban, river and city, and it is a perfect place for taking panorama pictures without the usual tourist crowd around. If you come on a weekday, the only ‘person’ in your way will probably be Gülbaba’s statute. And if you look to the left of the Mausoleum, you can see Gülbaba street: cobblestone and so steep you’ll be happy you climbed up from the other side. Walking back towards Margit bridge, gradually leaving the Gülbaba’s dreamy garden behind us, we followed an old sign saying ‘Souvenirs’ and went down a couple of stairs.They lead to an open air pub, a place with rural character without appearing to be simulated – a perfect place for a cold drink and a BBQ.