Tomb of Gül Baba, Ottoman mausoleum in Rózsadomb, Hungary.
The Tomb of Gül Baba is an octagonal stone mausoleum with a pale beige ashlar facade, a projecting rectangular panel bearing a small plaque, and a dark dome-shaped metal roof topped by a gold finial. Its east entrance is set in a pointed arch with a small window above, and the interior holds a large wooden coffin decorated with a turban.
The monument was built between 1543 and 1548 by Mehmed Pasha and houses the remains of Gül Baba, who died during the Ottoman conquest of Buda in 1541. After the Habsburg takeover in 1686, it was converted into a Roman Catholic chapel before eventually returning to its original function.
Gül Baba, whose name means "Father of Roses", was a Bektashi dervish and poet who came to Buda with the Ottoman army in 1541. The site is the northernmost pilgrimage site of Islam, and a rose garden, the Gül Baba kertje with its Rózsa-kert, lies south of the building. The basement cultural centre shows exhibitions on the dervishes' way of life, changed every three months.
The site is best reached by walking up steep footpaths that lead to the hilltop location and require some effort from the base. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for access through narrow, winding streets, especially when coming from the old town area.
A reduced copy of the tomb stands in the Miniatürk park in Istanbul. The original coffin, decorated with a turban, was replaced in 1912. During the 1940s restoration, an original painted glass window fragment with Quranic inscriptions was found.
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