Turkey issues a surprise stamp marking the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács

The 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács has produced an unusual philatelic parallel between Hungary and Turkey. The Turkish PTT issued a commemorative stamp for the 1526 battle just one day after Magyar Posta released its own anniversary issue.

Hungary’s postal service issued the stamp block, titled “The 500th Anniversary of the Battle of Mohács,” on August 28. The release stood out because the battle had not received a commemorative stamp and envelope from Hungary for 50 years.

The Hungarian design includes a woodcut made in 1526. One stamp features István Dorffmaister’s painting of Louis II, while another uses a detail from József Borsos’s depiction of the Battle of Mohács. The commemorative envelope carries a detail from Bertalan Székely’s painting “The Discovery of the Body of Louis II.”

Together, the two postal releases created a symbolic pairing during the anniversary weekend: Hungary issued its commemoration on August 28, and Turkey followed on August 29. The parallel presentation gives the anniversary more than the character of an ordinary foreign stamp release.