Gül Baba and Rosegarden — Attraction in Budapest

Gül Baba – in Hungarian, Rose Father – was a bektashi dervish who, starting with the reign of II.  Mehmed accompanied the Ottoman army during their European military campaigns. The title “rose” in his name expresses a spiritual rank, which reflects a deep transcendental knowledge of God. Gül Baba arrived in Buda in 1541 with I. Suleiman the Magnificent. According to legend, he died on the day of the thanksgiving ceremonies for the occupation of the city, on 2 September 1541. Sultan I. Suleiman also took part in his funeral and declared Gül Baba as the patron saint of Buda. The monument on the tomb of Gül Baba was built between 1543 and 1548 by the 3. Pasha of Buda.

In 1686 during the second siege of Buda the Habsburg army did not harm the tomb and later the Jesuit priests converted the monument into a catholic chapel. In 1885 the Ottoman government commissioned the Hungarian architect Janos Wagner for restoration of the tomb and the surrounding monument. Janos Wagner built support walls around the building complex which also incorporated his living. Upon closing of the restorations, the monument was declared a Hungarian National Memorial Site in 1914. During the 20. Century several renovations and reconstruction activities were performed on the tomb and the surrounding buildings. An extremely interesting historic monument...

In the 16th century, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, in the Ottoman Empire, a Bektashi dervish named Cafer was sent to Budapest. He quickly gained the affection of the locals and, due to always carrying a rose, came to be known as Gül Baba, meaning "Father of Roses." Gül Baba died during the Siege of Buda and was buried on a high hill. His funeral, held at the Matthias Church, which was converted into a mosque after the conquest, was attended by the Sultan himself as well as prominent Ottoman pashas.

His grave, turned into a shrine in the 19th century, was restored in the 21st century through the collaborative efforts of the Turkish and Hungarian governments. The shrine, which was inaugurated in 2017 with a ceremony attended by the presidents of Turkey and Hungary, is managed by the Gül Baba Heritage Foundation, established by the Hungarian government.

The shrine, which I visited without any particular expectations, genuinely impressed me with the meticulousness of the restoration and its architecture. It is truly admirable that the two countries have collaborated on such a wonderful project, and especially that Hungary has embraced and preserved a different culture that lived on its soil rather than attempting...

I am writing to formally express my deep disappointment and concern regarding an unpleasant experience I had at the souvenir shop located within the Gül Baba Tomb in Budapest on July 22, 2025.

During my visit, the woman working at the shop was engaged in a personal phone conversation, which clearly seemed emotionally distressing. While I fully understand that everyone may face difficult moments in life, it does not excuse the rude and disrespectful behavior I encountered as a customer.

She showed no interest in assisting me and reacted to my presence with visible annoyance and dismissiveness. Her attitude was so unpleasant that it left a lasting negative impression on what was otherwise a meaningful cultural visit. I found her behavior deeply inappropriate and, frankly, stomach-turning — a level of disrespect I have rarely encountered anywhere. I hope that your institution values professionalism and the respectful treatment of visitors, and that appropriate steps will be taken to ensure that future guests do not have to go through a similar experience.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I would appreciate a response regarding how this complaint will...