Budapest
Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary.
History
The earliest settlement in the area of Budapest was Aquincum, a Roman limes fortification.
In the 9th century, the invading Hungarian tribes settled into the towns of Buda, Obuda, and Pest.
Bela IV ordered the construction of walls around the towns and a castle atop the hill overlooking Buda. In 1361, Buda was made the capital of the kingdom of Hungary.
From 1526 until 1686, Buda was occupied by the Ottoman Empire. While the population stagnated and the castle hill fell into disrepair, several cultural features of the city originate in this era. Notably the Kiraly and Rudas baths were built by the Ottomans.
Buda became the center of Hungarian nationalism and, as a concession, became the capital of Hungary within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Buda, Obuda, and Pest were officially joined into Budapest in 1873. Since then, across the First Republic, the Regency, the USSR client state, and the modern state, Budapest has remained the capital city.
The Soviet and Romanian armies captured Budapest on February 13, 1945.
The Hungarian Revolution saw brief success in Budapest from October 23, 1956 until the Soviet Army re-entered the city on November 4.