The Érd minaret (
Hungarian: Érdi minaret) is an
Ottoman era minaret tower situated in
Érd
Érd (; ; , ) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It is a city with county rights.
History
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Archaeological findings indicate that prehistoric humans lived here 50,000 year ...
near capital
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
in
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
. It is one of only three
Ottoman era minarets still surviving in Hungary. The other two are the
Eger minaret
The Eger minaret ( Hungarian: Egri minaret or Kethüda-minaret) is an Ottoman-era minaret tower located in Eger city, northern Hungary. It is one of the most northern minarets left from Ottoman rule in Europe. The minaret is 40 metres (131 feet ...
and the minaret of
Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque
The Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque (, ) is an early 17th-century mosque in Pécs, southern Hungary. It was constructed when the region was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, together with the main mosque of Pécs, the Mosque of Pasha Qasim (which ...
in
Pécs
Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...
.
The minaret is 23 metres (75 feet) tall and constructed with limestone.
It was built in the 17th century as part of a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
by Ottoman
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
and use for the Muslim call to prayer (
Adhan
The (, ) is the Islamic call to prayer, usually recited by a muezzin, traditionally from the minaret of a mosque, shortly before each of the five obligatory daily prayers. The adhan is also the first phrase said in the ear of a newborn baby, ...
).
The minaret is a registered monument of Hungary with identification 7014 and reference number 7012.
The minaret stands alone in
Érd-Ófalu, near the dam of the Danube, next to a trace of an ancient Roman military road. This road is still called Mecset Street, which means "Mosque Street", a subtle reference to the mosque that one stood there.
History
The minaret in Érd was built in 17th century as part of a Turkish mosque in Érd. The mosque no longer exists but descriptions survive. The historian József Molnár gives features of the mosque as a rectangular ornate building with colorful windows, carpets and a
Mihrab
''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall".
...
(prayer niche) opposite the entrance of a stone-framed door. There was a balcony protected by wooden bars, where the muezzin (crier who makes the Islamic call to prayer) made his way to the minaret.
A copy of the mosque
Mihrab
''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall".
...
(prayer niche) made with iron reinforced concrete has been re-erected near the minaret.
Architecture
The structure of the minaret tower consists of a free standing cylindrical base, conical transition and a polygonal upper part. The middle and top closures are restorations and reconstructions. Entrance opening is segmented and is located higher off the ground.
Gallery
File:Minaret in Érd. English. - Hungary.JPG, A description plaque in English on site.
File:Minaret (7014. számú műemlék).jpg, Minaret entrance.
File:Minaret in Érd. Stairs. - Hungary.JPG, Staircase to minaret entrance.
File:Minaret in Érd. Top. - Hungary.JPG, Upper section of minaret, a reconstruction.
File:Érd Minarett.JPG,
File:Mihrab, Minaret in Érd, Hungary.JPG, Copy of Mihrab made by Iron forced concrete.
File:Minaret (7014. számú műemlék) 2.jpg, Minaret and Mihrab (Prayer niche).
File:Minaret in Érd from south. - Hungary.JPG, The minaret from a distance.
File:Das Minarett. Denkmal. - Érd, Ungarn.JPG, Description plaque in German on site.
See also
*
Eger
Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...
*
Minaret
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
*
Ottoman Hungary
Ottoman Hungary () encompassed the parts of the Kingdom of Hungary which were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire from the occupation of Buda in 1541 until the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699. The territory was incorporated into the empire, under ...
*
List of oldest minarets
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Érd minaret
Ottoman architecture in Hungary
Minarets in Hungary
Towers in Hungary