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Ybl Miklós tér - Castle Bazar, Castle Garden Bazar

The view of the market in Castle Bazaar with the palace, 1887The section of the Danube-bank under the Royal Palace has been divided into three parts since the 15th century. The Eastern Ward, i.e. the huge, court-like part of the fortifications of the Royal Palace, stretching to the Danube was built during Sigismund's reign (1387-1437), and divided the bank and the hillside above it into two. Besides controlling the given section of the road and river the ward also served as a kind of farmyard: the remains of a huge storehouse or barn were found on the site. At the very end of the Middle Ages or at the very beginning of the Turkish age an enormous round bastion, a Water rondella was built to the south-eastern corner of the fortress, which had almost been quadrangle. Then a protecting wall - with a gate in the middle - was built from its south-eastern corner to the Danube and finally a smaller tower was added. The suburb to the north of the wall pass was built at a later date. In the Turkish Era the bridge head of a floating bridge leading to Pest was situated somewhere at the southern third of today's square which was protected by a smaller rampart. According to pictures of the 1684-1686 siege there were different buildings on the hillside which were later destroyed.

The Castle Bazaar wharf, 1890sAfter the recapture of Buda Castle from the Turks the section of the bank under the south-eastern ramparts of the fortress belonged to the defence zone for a long time, so it was not built in, and only a path went along here. Later, smaller houses were built under the eastern closing wall of the wall pass or to the closing wall. On the site of the wall pass cannon foundries operated for a long time - the name "Öntoházudvar" (Foundry yard) comes from here. A little further along where the Water Rondella is located are the water works of the palace, but the rondella was pulled down at the end of the era, and the building of the new water works was built here. In the meanwhile the section of the bank at the foot of the hill was gradually built up. Sites for houses of various sizes and hotels were cut into the hillside, and a huge supporting wall secured their back sections. In the place of the defence ramparts of the hillside behind them the gardens of the Royal Palace were developed. The gardens were brought into the foreyard after 1867, when the royal couple visited the palace more often, and Queen Elisabeth particularly liked walking under the trees of the garden. An attempt was made to rearrange the area on the occasion of a competition in 1871, but the final solution was carried out according to the plans of Miklós Ybl, which he had drawn in 1873-1874. 

The building complex of the Castle Garden Bazaar, which can still be seen today, was established between 1875 and 1882. Prior to its construction former buildings were bought and pulled down. The complex, which is more than 350 meters long, is an interesting mix of different functions and building parts. In the middle part, which was built in early Eclectic style, there is a system of symmetrically doubled, serpentine-shaped fancy steps, with two tall pavilions at the sides. There is a ten bays long arcade opposite the steps with houses at both ends. In the symmetry axis of the steps there is a two-storey gloriett building.

The Castle Bazaar wharf, around 1900

The Castle Bazaar market, 1890s

The Castle Bazaar market, 1908