Tuesday, July 9, 2019

"The Spirit of Hungary"

Anja of Védelmezo Északi Kedves Kuvasz Kennel in Germany shares this photo montage she created of her Kuvasz Abiya and the Hortobágy region in Hungary, a place known for livestock and the Kuvasz who cared for them.

Hortobágy, steppe region in east-central Hungary. It lies between the Tisza River and the city of Debrecen.
In the medieval period there were many flourishing villages in this formerly fertile region, but under Turkish rule the area became depopulated, agriculture declined, and the region became a grazing area known for its horses and horsemen. After the regulation of the Tisza’s flow in the 1840s, the Hortobágy became dry and barren, and betyár (“highwaymen”) roamed the mostly deserted area. In the 20th century irrigation canals made agriculture possible once again in a large part of the area. The raising of cattle and horses is important. The immense grassy plain is also home to many water birds, including various types of herons, black storks, white spoonbills, geese, and ducks, as well as buzzards and falcons.