"Sátor-alja" (meaning "under the tent", referring to the tent-shaped mountain nearby) was a settlement from the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin until it was destroyed during the First Mongol invasion of Hungary. It was rebuilt in the 13th century, although there was disagreement among the citizens concerning the name: some wanted to keep the original name, and some wanted to rename it "új hely" ("new place"). Sátoraljaújhely was granted town status in 1261 by King Stephen V, and a castle was also built around that time.