Tomb of Gül baba is one on the most romantic places of the city. It is surrounded by small, cobbled streets and has the most beautiful rose garden of the city. Not only tourist, but local people also often visit this hidden gemstone. In the past few month, the tomb was closed because a bigger renovation and people could hardly wait the opening. Now it happened, so let’s summarize what you need to know about this wonderful place.

Gül baba came to Budapest during the Turkish occupation in 1541 to establish a Muslim monastery, but it failed because of his death. The tomb was built by Mehmed Paşa, beylerbeyi of Buda, between 1543 and 1548 and has a shallow dome covered with lead plates and wooden tiles. It was left undamaged when the Habsburg armies captured the area during the Second Battle of Buda in 1686 but was converted into a Roman Catholic chapel by the Jesuits, who renamed it "St Joseph's Chapel". In 1987, the Hungarian government financed the building of an Islamic Centre and Mosque complete with a library and museum in the precinct of the tomb building. The buildings were designed by Dr. Basil Al Bayati and follow a traditional Ottoman style in their plan.

The tomb is place of a pilgrimage these days and one of the best parks in Budapest, which has been renovated in 2018. It has its own exhibition space, teahouse and conference rooms. The Turkish cemetery is recalled with twelve tombstones with turban, and the rose and lavender garden is also a beautiful sight. Sitting here is not only for lovers who love to spend time in the park, but also for those who want to relax outside and away from the noise of the city.

The tomb itself reopened a few weeks ago after a big renovation. Although it lost its shabby chic but became a more professional tourist attraction. The Gül Baba Cultural Center and Exhibition Hall has been established in the basement of the covered porch, where the Hagia Sophia exhibition can be seen now, and in the basement, there is a teahouse and two conference rooms. The renovation also included public utilities and a terrace garden belonging to the former Wagner villa. The view is still amazing, although unfortunately a cube dampens the view behind the Gül baba statue.