Buda is the western part of Budapest , the Hungarian capital, on the right bank of the River Danube.

Some people say that Buda was named after its founder Budda, Most likely the name came from a local word meaning "water", perhaps a reference to the Danube River.

Buda was the capital of Hungary from 1361 until its capture by the Ottoman Empire in 1541; the new capital of Hungary became Pozsony.

In 1686 Buda was captured by Austria, but because of its devastation from warfare, numerous Germans were brought in to help resettle the city.

Buda was declared a free royal town in 1703, and became the Hungarian capital again in 1784. Buda was united with the towns Óbuda and Pest in 1873 to form Budapest.

© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)