Pécs - Mary's great-grandmother was already here before us

English version below.

Attention culture! The following post contains cultural topics and may cause relevant issues for sensitive people. ;)

Pécs, a city only 25 km away from Hunza, turned out to be a big surprise.

We visited the mosque with our well-informed fellow volunteer, Beate. It was built by the Ottomans and is now used as a Catholic church. The prayer niche and Arabic inscriptions are still present, along with the large wall paintings depicting scenes from the life of Jesus, the cross, and the altar, creating a fascinating mix. There is a strong desire for interreligious dialogue and understanding here.

Other religious buildings also shape the city known as "Fünfkirchen" in German. The cathedral, with its twelve apostle statues gazing stoically down on us, offers a great view from its walkable tower. Mary was particularly impressed by the ancient Christian graves, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Christogram (PX) and the figures in the Peter and Paul grave chamber could be partially identified. Additionally, Mary was one of the few visitors who ventured into the winding stairs and cellars of the grave chamber museum, allowing her to thoroughly test the acoustics with a song or two.

Of course, we didn't spend the whole day in museums. We indulged in plenty of vegan cakes and burgers and were even treated to a concert by a brass band from Pécs at the end of the day.

Pécs - Mary's great-grandmother was there before us

Warning! The following article focuses mainly on cultural and historical aspects of the city and may cause allergic reactions with more sensitive people.

The city Pécs, just 25 km off Hunza, surprised us a lot.

We visited the mosque with our well-informed tour guide, volunteer Beate. It was built at the same place as the former church by the Ottomans and is now again used as a catholic church. The prayer niche and Arabic inscriptions are still (or again) visible, though. Combined with the large wall painting (scenes of the life of Jesus, the altar and Christian symbols) a fascination mixture occurs. Thus the wish for inter-religious dialogue and understanding arises.

Besides the mosque other sacral buildings form the image of the city which is literally called "five churches" in German. The cathedral with its high tower offers a great view. The UNESCO world heritage ancient Christian graves especially impressed Mary. The Christian symbol PX was clearly visible in the graves dating back to the 3rd century. Furthermore the two figures in the Peter and Paul grave chamber could be easily made out. Adding to this impression came the fact that only few visitors ventured walking the labyrinthine stairs and cellars. That's why The acoustics could be properly tested by singing a few songs.

Of course we didn't just spend the day in museums alone but indulged in delicious vegan cakes and burgers. At the end of the day we were seen off by a brass band who gave an outdoor concert.