This former small market town on the bank of the River Zagyva, 79km (49mi.) east of Budapest, is the "capital" of the Jászság region, where the Jazygians traditionally settled. This nomadic people, originally from what is now Iran, reached the Carpathian Basin in the 13th C and - like the Cumans from
the steppes of southern Russia - were allowed by the King of Hungary to settle in certain areas and retain their tribal structure. In return for this favor they agreed to fight on the side of the Magyars in the event of war. Some of the Jazygians emigrated from the Great Hungarian Plain during the confusion of the Turkish wars; those who did not do so soon lost their special status and mingled with the Hungarian people.
The hot spring discovered in 1959 produces 600 liters (130gal.) of water every minute, at a temperature of 45°C (113°F), which flow into a covered pool. The neighboring open-air pool in Hatvani út is also filled with warm water.