Gyula

Gyula is a city in Bekes county in south-eastern Hungary. It lies close to the border with Romania, on the river Feher-Koros.

The first recorded reference to Gyula was in a document dated 1313 which mentions a monastery called Gyulamonostor (Julamonustra in Latin). By 1332 the settlement around the monastery was being called Gyula / Jula. There are two versions for the origin of the name. One is that following the occupation of the Pannonian Plain by the Magyar tribes, the tribe of the gyula settled in the area. More likely is the version that a lord called Gyula or Jula founded the monastery and its settlement. During Ottoman rule, the town was a sandjak center as Gole or Kule in Tamısvar eyalet.

To the east of the town centre stands the old fortress (13th century), now a cultural centre and a tourist attraction. Nearby, there are thermal spas known for their therapeutic effects.Nicolae Balcescu High School, designed by Szabo Jen in an architectural style resembling that of Transylvanian wooden churches, is Hungary's only Romanian-language high school.