For over seven centuries, the Royal Palace of Budapest has been demolished and reconstructed multiple times. In the mid-13th century, King Béla IV established the residence, and subsequent kings added to it. In 1686, the palace was destroyed during the battle to expel the Turks. The Habsburgs then rebuilt the complex, yet rarely visited there. Today, the Royal Palace houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Castle Museum, and the National Széchenyi Library.