Greetings, Steempunks:
We had a bit of time to wander around Budapest on a saturday afternoon, and the nearest interesting landmark to us was the parliament building, so we decided to check it out.
Initially, when we happened upon it, we didn't actually know what it was, although it was quite easy to determine that it was a structure of some importance. It dwarfed all the other structures around it and is far more extensively architecturally designed and crafted.
Standing at 96 meters and occupying some 700 rooms, the Országház is both the tallest and largest building in Hungary. It was built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th year of the establishment of Hungary's first state, the Principality of Hungary.
Across the road from its impressive rear façade is the Ethnographic Museum , or Néprajzi Múzeum, which houses many items and objects of Hungary throughout the years, particularly before World War II. We weren't able to go inside, as it was closed, but I was able to get a few pictures.
We even saw a parade of police horses!
We were also unable to enter the vast main square of the parliament. It had been cordoned off and there were police and some event staff monitoring huge electronic audio equipment. There were a couple of huge screens set up as well that seemed to be playing some ceremonial military parades on them. Although there was no signage set up, it seemed as though they were either setting up for something later or dismantling everything from something prior.
As we wondered around to the far side, we were met with the wide river Danube. Across the river was the other side of the city, originally called Buda (Budapest was once two separate cities named Buda and Pest). We didn't have enough time and it was getting late, so we were unable to venture out to that side of the city.
On the east side, set to one side of the grass courtyard were a series of statues. The name TISZA ISTVÁN was etched at the food of one memorial, and the KOSSUTH was at the other one. István Tisza was the Prime Minister of Hungary during World War I, and Lajos Kossuth was the Governor-President of Hungary during the revolution of 1849. They are both highly revered figures in Hungarian political history, who both led their nation during times of turmoil and always worked for the benefit of the people.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you learned something interesting today!