The Szekler Gates of Mureș County

In the Szekler part of Mures County, large wooden carved or painted gates can be seen, which represent a real cultural heritage for the ethnic Hungarians of this area. The oldest Szekler gate was built in Călugăreni, Mureș County, in 1673, at the entrance to the former Franciscan monastery. This was later replaced by a new gate. The Hungarian ethnographic literature defines the Szekler gates as those wooden gates with three vertical posts, delimiting a smaller gate for human access and a larger one for animals and carts. These posts are joined at the top by a horizontal beam covered with shingles and starting with the 17th century, a dovecote (columbarium) above the gate can also be seen. The carved motifs used to decorate the gates are not reandomly chosen, they represent messages of protection for the house. The most common motifs are flowers (especially tulips), birds, the sun, the moon and the stars, or the tree of life. In recent years, the Szekler Gate has become a status symbol in the community, and in October this year it was included, along with the famous “lángos”, on the Hungarikum list, indicating a national value of particular importance to the Hungarian people.