MONOLITHIC TERRAZZO
Garden detail in the Buda Castle
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BEATRIX TORMA
A defining element of the contemporary Turkish Garden in the Csikós Courtyard, harmonizing with the historical surroundings, is the finely crafted patterned terrazzo flooring of the fountain.
BUDA CASTLE
POURED IN PLACE MONOLITHIC TERRAZZO
The Ottomans, originating from Central Asia, appeared in Anatolia in the 13th century, becoming not only an imperative power in the world but also contributing to the spread of a unique version of Persian-Muslim garden culture. The Buda Castle was captured by the troops of Sultan Suleiman I in 1541 and Ottoman gardens are recorded from that century onwards. Interestingly, floral ornamentation appeared in decorative arts earlier than the gardens themselves. The "four-flower" style, consisting of tulips, carnations, roses and hyacinths, became as defining in art as in garden culture. Various versions of the Muslim garden are known: royal cemetery gardens, gardens representing the Garden of Paradise, Mediterranean gardens, Asian palace gardens serving representational purposes, and last but not least, the gardens of the Ottoman Empire.
During the Ottoman-Turkish occupation of the Buda Castle, in the area known as the "New Quarter" founded by the Turks on the western side of the Castle Hill, the traditions of oriental garden cultivation were preserved for centuries. The Turkish Garden created in the Csikós Courtyard within the framework of the National Hauszmann Program, recalls the former garden culture in its form, proportions, choice of plant species and visual aspects.
Fountain with Moorish
monolithic terrazzo
The contemporary landscaping of the garden in the Csikós Courtyard was carried out with the involvement of a landscape architect. As a counterpoint to the enclosed walls and paving surrounding the Turkish Garden, the designer drew a richly ornamented garden with water as the central element, featuring a fountain shaped like an eight-pointed star known from ancient cultures.
The complex symbolic system of the octagram-shaped fountain, along with its noble granite base and the ornamental pattern and colour scheme of the monolithic terrazzo tiling crafted by Iamart, evoke the Arab-Moorish culture as much as the rich vegetation, favoring the Mediterranean microclimate. The garden and the fountain, which did not exist in this form before, harmoniously blends with both the contemporary and historical environment, evident in their visual appearance and choice of tiling.
Landscape Architecture: Garten Studio Ltd.
Lead Designer: István Steffler
Designers: Edina Csákó, Franciska Helfirich, Miklós Hulej, Eszter Boglárka Tóth
Location: Budapest I., Castle District
BUDA CASTLE
POURED IN PLACE MONOLITHIC TERRAZZO
The Ottomans, originating from Central Asia, appeared in Anatolia in the 13th century, becoming not only an imperative power in the world but also contributing to the spread of a unique version of Persian-Muslim garden culture. The Buda Castle was captured by the troops of Sultan Suleiman I in 1541 and Ottoman gardens are recorded from that century onwards. Interestingly, floral ornamentation appeared in decorative arts earlier than the gardens themselves. The "four-flower" style, consisting of tulips, carnations, roses and hyacinths, became as defining in art as in garden culture. Various versions of the Muslim garden are known: royal cemetery gardens, gardens representing the Garden of Paradise, Mediterranean gardens, Asian palace gardens serving representational purposes, and last but not least, the gardens of the Ottoman Empire.
During the Ottoman-Turkish occupation of the Buda Castle, in the area known as the "New Quarter" founded by the Turks on the western side of the Castle Hill, the traditions of oriental garden cultivation were preserved for centuries. The Turkish Garden created in the Csikós Courtyard within the framework of the National Hauszmann Program, recalls the former garden culture in its form, proportions, choice of plant species and visual aspects.
Fountain with Moorish
monolithic terrazzo
The contemporary landscaping of the garden in the Csikós Courtyard was carried out with the involvement of a landscape architect. As a counterpoint to the enclosed walls and paving surrounding the Turkish Garden, the designer drew a richly ornamented garden with water as the central element, featuring a fountain shaped like an eight-pointed star known from ancient cultures.
The complex symbolic system of the octagram-shaped fountain, along with its noble granite base and the ornamental pattern and colour scheme of the monolithic terrazzo tiling crafted by Iamart, evoke the Arab-Moorish culture as much as the rich vegetation, favoring the Mediterranean microclimate. The garden and the fountain, which did not exist in this form before, harmoniously blends with both the contemporary and historical environment, evident in their visual appearance and choice of tiling.
Landscape Architecture: Garten Studio Ltd.
Lead Designer: István Steffler
Designers: Edina Csákó, Franciska Helfirich, Miklós Hulej, Eszter Boglárka Tóth
Location: Budapest I., Castle District
