Gül Baba's türbe

The reconstruction of the Tomb of Gül Baba and its surroundings served the renewal of one of Budapest’s distinctive heritage and cultural sites. Located on the hillside of Rózsadomb, the Ottoman-era tomb is at once a historic monument, a sacred pilgrimage site and an important symbol of Hungarian–Turkish cultural relations.

The aim of the development was not only to renovate the tomb itself, but also to reorganise its entire surroundings. As part of the investment, the building sections connected to the tomb, the public park, the gardens and the visitor functions were renewed. The site therefore gained a new role not only as a preserved heritage monument, but also as a cultural and community space.

We participated in the project with project management services. Our role covered supporting the processes related to the preparation and implementation of the investment, coordinating the work of the participants and ensuring the professional traceability of the project.

The special character of the task lay in the need to coordinate architectural, landscape architectural, restoration, utility and visitor-related aspects in a sensitive heritage environment. In such a situation, one of the most important tasks of project management is to bring heritage protection, modern usage needs and the practical conditions of implementation into balance.

As a result of the reconstruction, the area around the Tomb of Gül Baba is now connected to Budapest’s cultural offering as a more dignified, organised and usable environment. The renewed site preserves the historic monument, supports the visitor experience and strengthens one of the city’s distinctive cultural locations of international significance.

Designer: Mányi István Építész Stúdió Kft.

Contractor: ZÁÉV Építőipari Zrt.

Awards and recognitions:

XXI Hungarian Real Estate Development Excellence Award, 2019 – First Prize, Cultural category

Construction Industry Excellence Award, 2020 – Heritage Restoration and Building Rehabilitation category

FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards, 2020 – Gold Winner, Public Infrastructure category

FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards, 2020 – Silver Winner, Heritage category