In this introductory episode, we step off the train to visit the Buddha Park just outside the Hungarian town of Tar. Then, we'll take a look at why the language spoken in Hungary is so different from that its neighbors.

What's the biggest language family in the world, what language family does Hungarian belong to, how did the Magyars get to where they are today, and why is this linguistic peculiarity a source for so many new age movements, nationalist projects, globe-trotting exploration, and mystery?

After that, we — like the Turanists themselves — will venture far away from Hungary to medieval Persia and learn about the first literature to explore the concept of "Turàn": an epic poem about three sons given three pieces of an empire and the envy that. It is from this cosmic struggle that the dichotomy between the settled world and nomadic steppe was born.

This is a project about Hungarian history, but as we'll see, the many characters and theories who constitute it and this search for origins and kin extend far beyond the Carpathians.

Written by Turàn Explorer and produced by Boss Moss. Follow on TikTok and Twitter @Turan_Explorer and support us on www.patreon.com/turan_explorer