Hungarian sculptor István Boite Horváth used 650 km of bronze and travertine for the sculpture “Tugrul Bird”, installed in Ankara on the initiative of the Hungarian Embassy.
The sculpture, created with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Hungary, was unveiled on November 18 in a ceremony organized in the garden of the residence of the Hungarian Ambassador in Ankara Victor Matisa.
The Tugrul bird in Mahmud Kashgari’s work “Divan Lugat-at-Turk” was described as a “sublime, mighty bird”, while it symbolizes not just a bird, but the spirit, strength and desire for freedom of the Turkic people directed to the sky. The bird Tugrul is also mentioned in the “Epic of Oguz Khan”.
In Hungarian mythology, “Tugrul” is also present as “the sacred bird that descends from the sky and guides the fate of the people.”
Horvat spoke to Anadolu about his artistic career and the creation of the first Tugrul sculpture in Ankara.
Horvat, whose works can be seen in many cities in Hungary, has been painting since three years, studied at the art lyceum, and then received an education in sculpture and painting at the university.
Previously, he created sculptures symbolizing the care of the Hungarian people for their homeland, but he made the Tugrul sculpture for the first time.
“The Tugrul bird symbolizes the common heritage of the Turkic peoples. It is present in both Hungarian history and the epic of Oguz Khan. This bird can show that Hungary and Turkey comes from the same root. The Tugrul sculpture reflects the common history and friendship of the two countries. This bird appears to us as a spiritual being. While working on the sculpture, I felt a wonderful delight and sincerely want it to be liked by everyone in Ankara,” said the sculptor.
Horvat also noted that the sculpture, installed at the Hungarian Embassy building, is located on a globe, symbolizing peace. “I created the Tugrul sculpture in Turkey as a cultural and civilized bird dominating the world,” he said.
The sculptor explained that the column on which the bird is mounted was made of Turkish travertine, and the Tugrul sculpture itself weighs 650 km and is made of bronze.