The Two Faces of Orban’s Hungary: Christian and Neo-Ottoman

What is less talked about, however, is what came after the fall of Hungary's great medieval kings. Following the catastrophic Battle of Mohacs in 1526, the medieval kingdom of Hungary was subject to nearly two centuries of partition and external rule, with the eastern half of the kingdom coming under the rule of the Muslim Ottoman Turks of Constantinople.

Ottoman rule of what at the time was often referred to as "Turkey-in-Europe" is still a controversial topic in many Southern and Central European states. The founding mythos of many post-Ottoman nation states is intrinsically tied to opposition and martyrdom in the face of 'the Turk', and much of the heritage left behind by the Ottomans has been levelled in various 'modernising' initiatives since their departure.

Hungary is no exception to these trends, and Orban has often used anti-Ottoman symbols, myths and rhetoric to bolster his Christian credentials if it suits him, especially when in discussions with his neighbours to the south. But while such anti-Ottoman Christian posturing by Orban has received considerable attention across Europe, it has not prevented a less well-known phenomenon that has been called the "sanitisation" of Ottoman heritage in Hungary - the movement to 'cleanse' this heritage of its current association with a hostile or alien presence, and to instead reintegrate it as an integral part of 'mainstream' Hungary history through restorations, exhibitions and other initiatives to increase public awareness and engagement.

Hungarian history enthusiasts reenact the Siege of Eger, the battle between Hungarian Christian defenders and the besieging Ottoman Turkish soldiers for the castle of Eger, which ended in victory for the Hungarian forces in 1552, during a festival in Eger,...