The Patara and the Festival of Military Orchestras on the shore of the Old Lake in Tata, Hungary will be held for the 14th time already. The Representation Office of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest is going to participate in the event between June 3 and 5 for the first time. During the press conference at the 25th György Klapka Rifleman Brigade in Tata on April 22 it was announced that besides the participation of OTS the public, visiting the program will be entertained with a lot of exciting things and plenty of surprises.
On behalf of the hosts, the Commander of the 25th György Klapka Rifleman Brigade of the Hungarian Army, Gábor Lőrincz greeted those who participated in the press conference. The Brigadier General pointed put that while the history of warfare is to be presented, the army of today will also show up, since the pride of the town of Tata will also be present at the event: the soldiers of the 25th György Klapka Rifleman Brigade who will, naturally, bring with themselves their military equipment as well. In such a way, the military technology of today will also be introduced to the visitors, while several organizations cultivating the Turkish traditions, culture and language will also be taking part in the Festival.
József Michl, the mayor of Tata added that the Castle and its relics, as well as the Patara event preserving the traditions, all play an important role in the life of the town. On behalf of the town, he expressed his thanks to the organizers and the sponsors that they have once again supported the project which is an important cultural event not only for the town but for the whole country.
The organizers informed the press that they are preparing for the Festival with contemporary garments, military technology, weapons that can be tested by both adults and children, as well as with authentic battle scenes. The visitors will be able to get acquainted with everyday life in the 16th and 17th centuries, and what is more, with contemporary crafts and food. Lajos Négyesi (Institute of Military History and Museum) also revealed that they are preparing for the Festival with a surprise: this year stunt men will also be taking part in the program. The serious topic of the press conference was also spiced with some humor: while explaining the program, Attila Turbok drew his sword and pledged to defend the Castle of Tata against the Turkish army. With this he recalled the greatest event in the Patara – the battle scene with the help of which the siege of 1597 to retake the Castle of Tata from the Turks is rehearsed every year. In response to this, the corporal of the Seymens of the Castle also made a pledge: “There’s one thing that I can promise to the painters from the neighborhood and from far away, the ladies to be kidnapped and the lords to be enslaved. Within the castle there’re bazaars, vendors, cloth and lots of delicious food from the East. However, during the fight we’re going to be cruel.” The traditionalist, naturally, added that all visitors to the Patara are welcomed and will be acquainted with life in a military camp, its comforts and dishes from the East.
During the press conference it was also announced that the Representation Office in Hungary (ROH) of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Budapest is going to participate in the event for the first time. The OTS/ROH will be holding a competition for the students in Turkish times and the history and culture of the Turkic peoples. Besides this, during the three days of the Festival, the visitors will also be able to learn a lot about the culture of the Turkic states.
