'Pest' (pronounced ''pesht'',
Slovak: ''Pešť'',
Croatian: ''Pešta'',
Serbian: ''Пешта'') is the eastern, mostly flat part of
Budapest, comprising about two thirds of the capital's territory. It is divided from
Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the
Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the
Inner City, including the
Hungarian Parliament,
Heroes' Square and
Andrássy Avenue. In colloquial
Hungarian, ''Pest'' is often used for the whole
capital of ''Budapest.''
The name Pest comes from a
Slavic word meaning "furnace," probably referring to nearby caves where fires burned.
History
Pest was a separate, independent
city, references to which appear in writings dating back to
1148. In earlier centuries, ancient
Celtic and
Roman settlements existed in the same place. The city became an important economic center during
11th–
13th centuries. It was destroyed in the
1241 Mongol invasion but rebuilt once again soon thereafter. In 1837 it was flooded by the
Danube. In
1849 the first suspension bridge, the
Széchenyi Chain Bridge, was constructed across the Danube connecting Pest with
Buda. Consequently, in
1873, the two cities were unified with
Óbuda to become
Budapest.
See also
★
Budapest
★
Pest County
External links
★ on