In the very heart of the Old Town lies an enclosed courtyard called Ungelt. It was once a very busy trading center. Merchants from all over Europe brought rare goods here and paid royal customs duties. Inns, warehouses, and lodgings for merchants stood in the courtyard. Every evening, the heavy gates were carefully locked.

One day, a wealthy and handsome Turkish merchant arrived at Ungelt. He brought with him rare silk and expensive spices. At an inn by the courtyard, he met the beautiful daughter of the innkeeper. She had long blonde braids and a radiant smile. Both fell passionately in love. The Turk asked for the girl”s hand and she accepted.

Before they could marry, however, the Turk had to travel back to Constantinople. He needed to settle his affairs and prepare everything for their life together. At their farewell, he gave the girl a precious necklace studded with gems. It was his oath of loyalty. She promised him she would wait, no matter how long it took.

Weeks turned into months and months into years. No news came from the Turk. The girl slowly lost hope. Her father eventually persuaded her to accept a marriage proposal from a local wool merchant. The girl agreed with tears in her eyes.

But on the very day of the wedding, the Turk unexpectedly returned to Prague. He entered Ungelt and saw his beloved in a wedding dress beside a strange groom. He turned pale with horror and went grey with betrayal. Despair and jealousy completely overtook him. He secretly lured his beloved away from the wedding guests. In madness, he murdered her and hid her body under firewood in a dark cellar.

The Turk died shortly afterwards. According to some, he killed himself with grief. According to others, his own conscience destroyed him. Since that night, his cursed ghost in a turban and silk clothes supposedly wanders the dark cellars of Ungelt. In one hand, he holds the severed head of his beloved by her long blonde braids. He roams the corridors like a lost soul. Sometimes he supposedly tries to blend into the wall paintings and disappear. According to legend, only forgiveness can free him from his curse, but that forgiveness will never come.