Nemzeti Múzeumtól a Rákóczi útig

On our right (behind those trees) we can see the neo classical building of the Hungarian National Museum. Construction of the museum began in 1837 by Mihály Pollack. When it was opened in 1847 it was the 4^th such national museum built in Europe.

Shortly after its opening, the museum became the scene of one of the most celebrated events of the 1848 revolution. For example: Sándor Petőfi recited his rousing National Song here. (The event, the place and the poem have all found their place in Hungarian history and usually every year on 15^th Marc the museum is decked out with the national coeours and an pen-air performance takes place on the steps recalling the events of 1848.)

The faced of the museum is dominated by a huge central portico with 8 Corinthian columns supporting a large tympanum with statues. The central-seated figure is Pannonia. The figures on each side represent the sciences and art.

The large bronze and limestone statue in front of the museum, overlooking the boulevard, is of the poet János Arany. He is one of the classic fogures of Hungarian literature.

The comlex of large buildings on our right is the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Eötvös Lóránd University. (Itt ha van idő, akkor a felvételikről, meg az egytemekrő általában lehet beszélni.)

Further on the right is located the East-West business center.

The opposite of the Trade Center is the Hotel Astoria. It si recently redecorated reatining its old fashioned style. The building suffered severe damage during the fighting in 1956, when for a time it functioned as the headquarters of the Soviet Forces. Taday the renovated interior recalls the atmosphere of pre-World War II. Budapest.

Now we droving on the Károly Boulevard.

We find the larges Synagogue in the city, and in Europe near here, in Dohány Street. There are altogether 22 synagogues in function in Budapest – this is the largest and the most beautiful one. It was built Between 1854 and 1859. Lenght of the temple is 53m, widht of the teple is 26m. There are 1492 seats for men, and 1472 for women in the teple. The Ark of teh Cevenant is 8,2 m high. The temple of Dohány Street played a style-making role in the Hungarian art of synagogues, it was built by the Austrian Förster-firm. The word synagogue derives from the Greek “synagogé” expression. It is the place of religious service and school at the same time. This synagogue is a special synagogue, becaus in the garden there is a cemetery. It is specially because, the burial is close in the near of synagogues. But a long time ago, the israelitics are live in getto, and they can’t leave it, so who died was burialed in the synagogue’s garden.

Before long we arrived to the Rákóczi Road, the busiest avenue of the city.