Szentes | |
|---|---|
 Near the center of the town with Lutheran Church | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Szentes  Szentes | |
| Coordinates:46°39′04″N20°15′29″E / 46.651°N 20.258°E /46.651; 20.258 | |
| Country |  Hungary |
| County | Csongrád |
| District | Szentes |
| Area | |
• Total | 353.25 km2 (136.39 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 27,898 |
| • Density | 79/km2 (200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 6600 |
| Area code | (+36) 63 |
| Website | www |
Szentes is a town in south-easternHungary,Csongrád county, near theTisza river. The town is a cultural and educational center of the region. It is the third most populous town inCsongrad county afterSzeged andHódmezővásárhely.
The area around Szentes has been inhabited since theNeolithic. TheSzegvár-tűzkövesi idol, one of the Neolithic period's only depictions of a male deity, was discovered in the area.[1] During thebarbarian invasions, manyethnic groups moved through the region, and there is archeological evidence of hundreds ofgraves belonging toIazyges,Sarmatians,Gepids,Huns, andAvars. According to certain accounts, the legendary camp ofAtilla the Hun was found in this area, at the confluence of theTisza and theKörös rivers.[2] The town was first documented about the land-division in 1332 and called "Scenthus".[3] It was said to be inhabited by descendants of the tribe ofOnd, one of theseven tribes of Hungary, and it was also documented as containing a stone church dedicated toAndrew the Apostle. According to local tradition,Csongrad castle stood on the town's boundaries until the time of thefirst Mongol invasion.[4]
Following the Hungary's defeat byOttoman forces at thebattle of Mohács, taxes were levied from Szentes by three different powers, meaning those who were able to leave the area, fled. The region suffered immensely underOttoman rule, and entire towns were wiped off the map. The region further suffered during theLong Turkish War, with more towns going extinct, and many of Szentes' inhabitants seeking refuge by dwelling in the nearbywetlands. In 1647,Ferdinand III was defeated by Ottoman forces outside Szentes, but the Ottoman forces had to withdraw from the region. In 1693, Szentes and the surrounding region was scorched and pillaged byCrimean Tatars looking for food following their failed attempt to captureGyula. In 1709, the town suffered an outbreak of thePlague, killing over 1000 of its inhabitants.
The townsfolk played an active role in theHungarian Revolution of 1848, and it was visited byKossuth Lajos himself to recruit troops. After theHabsburgs crushed the revolution, many young men were forcibly enlisted in theImperial Army as punishment, and the mayor was sentenced tohard labour.[3]
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