The Church of Ják – a lovely basilica from the Middle Ages

Hungary has many wonders; this is why one should explore as many as possible. Based on the article of magyarorszagom.hu, we introduce you the amazing Church of Ják.

The church of Ják is the monumental basilica of the long-ago Benedictine Abbey of Ják. It was built in the Roman style and is an essential part of the Hungarian architecture. It is the only undamaged survivor of the Hungarian ethnical monasteries of the Middle Ages.

The church lies a hundred kilometres away from the capital. It is on the top of the hills in the Jáki-Soros-Stream Valley. Therefore visitors can see it from any direction.

History and construction

Its founder was Márton Jáki Nagy. He was a noble person, and he started to build a large estate in the 12th century. He wanted to be remembered for his wealth and power, so he ordered the building of this enormous church. During its construction, workers modified the plans several times. As a result, irregularity appears on the finished building. It was baptised in 1256, for the respect of Saint György.

Characteristics of the buildings

The thick-set church is visible from 10 to 15 kilometres away. It perfectly fits in its surroundings. From the south, the building is surrounded by a wall. The most famous part of the church, the main entrance is here. It is deepening, proportioned and decorated with Norman motives. Furthermore, above the gate, we can see a Jesus on the tympana with angels and apostles.

As we step inside, we can see the southern side with another gate. It is not as detailed as the main entrance, but its columns decorated with bay-leaves are beautiful. There is also an embossment of God’s sheep and a dragon figure around them. Leaving this gate behind, we find the entrance of the church, and across the street front, there is the Saint Jakab Chapel. In the middle ages, it was forbidden for the abbeys to function as town churches at the same time. Therefore, the chapel functioned as the church of the town.