A city dating back to the ancient times, settled by the Celts and the Romans, it was made an episcopal see in early medieval Hungary. It features the oldest university in the country, and is one of the major cultural centers. Pécs also has a rich heritage from the age of a 150-year-long Ottoman occupation. Pécs was historically a multi-ethnic city where many cultures intermingled, creating a melting pot of different values, the rich result of 2000 years of history. In recent times, the city has been recognized for its cultural heritage, including by being named as one of the European Capital of Culture cities.
A good example of the city’s history and interesting past can be seen in the main square, where the Gazi Kasim Mosque still stands, and, although consecrated as a church following the retreat of the Ottoman Turks centuries ago, the crescent moon of Islam is still visible on the cupola, surmounted by a cross. Indeed, Pécs is the richest town in Hungary in terms of Turkish architecture, with the ruins of Memi Pasa’s Baths and the mausoleum of miracle worker Idris Baba, just two other notable remains. The Yakoval? Hasan Pa?a Mosque, dating from the mid-1500s, still functions as an active mosque today. It is open to the public except during Friday services from 2.30 to 3.30 pm.
The University of Pécs was founded by Louis I of Hungary in 1367. It is the oldest university in Hungary, and is among the first European universities. In the recent past it used to be divided in two universities, one for Medicine and Orthodontics (POTE) and a larger one for other studies: JPTE (Janus Pannonius Tudományegyetem). The POTE (Pécs University Medical School, now known as the Medical School) has a large English program for general medicine and dentistry (with students from America, Asia, Africa, and European countries – including many Scandinavians) and a new German program. On 1 January 2000 these universities were combined under the name University of Pécs (acronym: PTE – Pécsi Tudományegyetem – University of Pécs).
