Szelim: A Cave Full of Legends and Archaeological Treasures

Legends of dragons guarding magnificent piles of treasures in caves across the world have grabbed our imaginations and entertained us for centuries. One particular dragon is said to have guarded the gold of a sultan in Szelim Cave in Hungary.

The cave, only fairly recently discovered and excavated by archaeologists in the 1930s, has to this day not given up its treasure of gold and jewels, but the researchers have found something much more valuable: ancient artifacts and proof of human occupation from as far back as 200,000 years.

Szelim cave is located in northwestern Hungary, 948 feet above a valley, near the city of Tatabánya. The cave has been used for shelter by local villagers over the centuries. These days it is easily accessible and the cave is watched over by a memorial of Turul.

Turul (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Turul is a mythological bird of prey and the national symbol of modern Hungary. Its roots presumably originated as the clan symbol used in the ninth or tenth centuries by the House of Arpad who ruled the Kingdom of Hungary until 1301.

According to legend, in approximately 820 AD the Turul appeared to Emese, a daughter of the House of Arpad, in a dream when she was pregnant. The Turul became the protector spirit of her son Álmos, who became the first head of the federation of the Hungarian tribes from around 850 AD.