Pest (city)

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Pest (pronounced pesht, Slovak: Pešť, Serbian: Pešta / Пешта) is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, comprising about two thirds of the capital's territory. It's divided from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and Andrássy Avenue. In colloquial Hungarian, Pest is used for the whole capital of Budapest.

The name Pest comes from a Slavic word meaning "furnace," probably referring to nearby caves where fires burned.

[edit] History

Pest was a separate, independent city, references to which appear in writings dating back to 1148. In earlier centuries, ancient Celtic and Roman settlements existed in the same place. The city became an important economic center during 11th–13th centuries. It was destroyed in the 1241 Mongol invasion but rebuilt once again soon thereafter. In 1849 the first suspension bridge was constructed across the Danube connecting Pest with Buda. Consequently, in 1873, the two cities were unified with Óbuda to become Budapest.