Szihalom – Folk Culture and History

• The Tájház at Hunyadi út 90 opened on 25 May 2002.
• The Magyar-Tár-Ház presents ethnographic and craft-related topics in four regional sections.
• Kálvária is on the northwestern edge of the settlement, beside Route 3 between Füzesabony and Mezőkövesd.
• The Roman Catholic church has a main altarpiece painted by Ferenc Szoldatics in 1871.

The Tájház is an adobe house dating from the late 19th century. Its traditional sequence of rooms consists of a living room, kitchen and pantry. A beam structure and a domed oven are also features of the house’s construction. These spatial and architectural features provide the setting for the domestic culture on display; the furnishings include furniture and clothing as well as kitchen and agricultural equipment.

The objects relate to the early 20th century, as well as to the 1920s and 1930s. The exhibition thus brings together domestic furnishings and activities in the kitchen and in agriculture. The Tájház opened on 25 May 2002, following a year of preparatory work. This provides a specific date in the history of the settlement, while the house itself preserves an older architectural style.

The Magyar-Tár-Ház was created by renovating a former Baroque granary. It houses an ethnographic and craft exhibition spread across three floors. Its four sections focus on the Alföld, Transdanubia, Upper Hungary and Transylvania. Visitors interested in regional differences within Hungarian culture will find a different perspective here than at the Tájház, which focuses on domestic life in Szihalom.

Past visitor activities included interactively exploring and trying out historic carpentry tools, as well as equipment once used for grape harvesting and winemaking. Demonstrations of traditional crafts and craft markets were held in the courtyard. Tasting traditional foods was also part of the historical visitor programme. These activities complement the exhibition sections with craft and food culture, but should not be understood as a current events calendar.

Kálvária is on a gently sloping, wooded hillside on the northwestern edge of the settlement, beside Route 3 between Füzesabony and Mezőkövesd. A memorial honouring the founders and heroes of the 1848 Revolution was erected there on 15 March 2011. The hillside setting and the memorial combine to create a specific place of remembrance.

Árpádvár/Földvár also forms part of Szihalom’s archaeological heritage: the site is attributed mainly to prehistory and, in part, to the period of the Hungarian Conquest. The main altarpiece in the Roman Catholic church depicts the Ascension of Christ. Ferenc Szoldatics painted it in 1871. Archaeological context, a later memorial and a dated work of religious art thus stand side by side as different historical points of reference in Szihalom.

The traditional Szihalmi lakodalmas is part of the repertoire of the dance group that preserves local traditions. It is performed both in a longer, full-day version and in a shorter version for stage performances. The two versions differ in scope and intended format. After the Tájház opened, programmes were also held for tourist groups and residents. These included a harvest procession revived after more than 50 years and a ball, which were intended at the time to become traditions again.

If you would like to compare more pages about local destinations, you can also find Dormánd, Újlőrincfalva, Sarud and Poroszló here.

What can you see in the Tájház?

The adobe house showcases domestic culture, furniture, clothing, and kitchen and agricultural equipment from the early 20th century and the 1920s and 1930s.

When did the Tájház open?

It opened on 25 May 2002, following a year of preparatory work.

Which regions does the Magyar-Tár-Ház present?

Its four exhibition sections focus on the Alföld, Transdanubia, Upper Hungary and Transylvania.

Where is Kálvária?

It is on the northwestern edge of Szihalom, beside Route 3 between Füzesabony and Mezőkövesd, on a gently sloping, wooded hillside.

For the broader travel overview: Füzesabony.