Mezokövesd
Encyclopedia
Mezőkövesd is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
county, Northern Hungary
. It lies 50 km (31 mi) from Miskolc
and 15 km (9 mi) from Eger
.
. It's likely that the first Hungarian settlement was formed here shortly after the conquest of Hungary, but in 1275 in a church document it was mentioned as a deserted place. It is likely that the village was destroyed during the Mongol
invasion of Hungary.
In the 13th century, Mezőkövesd was the southernmost town belonging to the Diósgyőr estate
. In 1464 the town got a seal and privileges from King Matthias. The name of the Matyó people, who inhabited the town and the area, is likely to have come from his name.
In 1544 the town was occupied by the Turks. In 1552 – in the year when the Castle of Eger was under siege by the Turks – Mezőkövesd was completely destroyed. Though it was rebuilt, after the battle in the nearby village of Mezőkeresztes
, it was destroyed again in 1596 and wasn't rebuilt for almost 100 years.
Until 1784 Mezőkövesd was royal estate. In that year the town freed itself from its feudal
obligations. The following years brought prosperity. In 1860 the railway line reached the town.
In 1938 a thermal spring was found in the estate of Lajos Zsóry. A thermal bath
was built and now it is one of the main tourist attractions of the town. In 1941 the town had 21,000 residents, the highest population ever recorded.
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...
county, Northern 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...
. It lies 50 km (31 mi) from Miskolc
Miskolc
Miskolc is a city in northeastern Hungary, mainly with heavy industrial background. With a population close to 170,000 Miskolc is the fourth largest city of Hungary It is also the county capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and the regional centre of Northern Hungary.- Geography :Miskolc is located...
and 15 km (9 mi) from Eger
Eger
Eger is the second largest city in Northern Hungary, the county seat of Heves, east of the Mátra Mountains. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, historic buildings , and red and white wines.- Name :...
.
History
The area has been inhabited since the Great MigrationMigration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
. It's likely that the first Hungarian settlement was formed here shortly after the conquest of Hungary, but in 1275 in a church document it was mentioned as a deserted place. It is likely that the village was destroyed during the Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
invasion of Hungary.
In the 13th century, Mezőkövesd was the southernmost town belonging to the Diósgyőr estate
Castle of Diósgyor
The Castle of Diósgyőr is a medieval castle in the historical town of Diósgyőr which is now part of the Northern Hungarian city Miskolc.-History:...
. In 1464 the town got a seal and privileges from King Matthias. The name of the Matyó people, who inhabited the town and the area, is likely to have come from his name.
In 1544 the town was occupied by the Turks. In 1552 – in the year when the Castle of Eger was under siege by the Turks – Mezőkövesd was completely destroyed. Though it was rebuilt, after the battle in the nearby village of Mezőkeresztes
Mezokeresztes
Mezőkeresztes is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary near Mezőkövesd and Eger.-Location: south from county seat Miskolc. Can be reached by car on highway M3. The train station Mezőkeresztes–Mezőnyárád is away from the town itself, towards Mezőnyárád.-History:The area around it...
, it was destroyed again in 1596 and wasn't rebuilt for almost 100 years.
Until 1784 Mezőkövesd was royal estate. In that year the town freed itself from its feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
obligations. The following years brought prosperity. In 1860 the railway line reached the town.
In 1938 a thermal spring was found in the estate of Lajos Zsóry. A thermal bath
Thermal bath
A thermal bath is a warm body of water. It is often referred to as a spa, which is traditionally used to mean a place where the water is believed to have special health-giving properties, though note that many spas offer cold water or mineral water treatments.A thermal bath may be part of a...
was built and now it is one of the main tourist attractions of the town. In 1941 the town had 21,000 residents, the highest population ever recorded.
Tourist sights
- Matyó Museum
- Museum of Agriculture
- Zsóry Thermal Baths, with indoor and outdoor swimming and medicinal pools. The sulphur-rich waters of the medicinal pools have curative properties.
- Matyó homes, streets with the atmosphere of 19th century country towns - also called "Hadas" district, meaning that people who used to live here inhabited the area in big family groups.In the ancient cottages local folk artists offer a view of what it is like to be "Matyó". The houses give home to embroiderers, a furniture painter, a glass cutter, a potter and for the children: a gingerbread maker, among other craftsmen.
Twin towns — sister cities
Mezőkövesd is twinned with: Rüdesheim am Rhein in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
External links
- Official site
- Informational web site
- The famous Matyó embroidery -- traditionally made only in Mezőkövesd and two neighbouring villages, it is one of the finest examples of Hungarian folk art
- Zsóry Spa webpage - Mezőkövesd thermal bath site
- A rose by any other name – article from the Budapest Sun
- Mezokovesd on SeeUinHungary.com