Monok


Monok is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hungary and is part of the Tokaj wine region.

Geography

The nearest town is Szerencs away. Neighbouring villages are Golop away, Legyesbénye away and Tállya away.
The Zemplén Mountains have two sides: on the north Vilvitány Hill, on the south Szerencs Hill. The village lies in the valley between the two.
Although the north is mountainous the south is lower lying at around. On the north and south slopes there are fields and vineyards whose wines compete with those from Tokaj, and the fields bordering the vineyards offer a beautiful view of the Tatra Mountains.

History

It is not certain when the village was established, but it was some time during the Mongol invasion of Europe, or the earlier Hungarian invasion.
The first record of the village is in 1392 and the Monaky family owned it in the 13th century. The name of the village comes from Slavic monoh meaning "monk". During the Ottoman Empire the village was razed and in 1567 it was recorded as being just barren fields. Towards the end of this century the village was reinhabited and around 1570 a small castle was built in the Renaissance style. Later, the village was owned by the Andrássy family who renovated the castle, but because it was too small they built another nearby in the Classical style.

Ethnicity

93% of the population is Hungarian, with the remaining 7% being of Romany origin.

Traditions