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Pest is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, comprising about two thirds of the capital's territory. Its 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 Andrassy Avenue. In colloquial Hungaria 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.
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 11 th-13 th centuries. It was destroyed in the 1241. Mongol invasion but rebuilt once again soon thereafter. In
1837 it was flooded by the Danube. In 1849 the first suspension
bridge, the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, was constructed across the Danube connecting
Pest with Buda. Consequently, in 1873,the two cities were unified
with Obuda to become Budapest.
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