Istanbul Lale Festival – is a world-famous flower festival, a colorful event that attracts many tourists to Turkey. This magnificent celebration is held every spring and lasts approximately a month.
Every year in April, Istanbul turns into a flower masterpiece and becomes the tulip capital of the world.
Millions of tulips are planted throughout the city. They can be seen in almost any corner of Istanbul: from parks and alleys to city highways and many courtyards. Moreover, planting flowers is carried out not only by special services, but also by the city residents themselves. After all, on the eve of the festival, everyone is given the bulbs of these beautiful plants for free.
Millions of tulips are being planted in the city... (Photo: Vladimir Kezling)
It must be said that the tulip for Turkey is not just a beautiful flower – it is a symbol of the country, an important component of its culture, and the custom of celebrating the tulip festival – is a tribute to centuries-old traditions. This – flower comes from Asia and played an important role in shaping Turkey's folklore and cultural traditions. It was first introduced into the country during the Ottoman Empire and became a favorite of the sultans. Even the period of the highest prosperity of the Ottoman Empire was called the «era of tulips» – these flowers were so popular. Ornaments with their image decorated clothes, weapons, mosque walls, carpets, and dishes.
Tulip for Turkey is not just a beautiful flower – it is a symbol of the country, an important component of its culture (Photo: Vladimir Kezling)
There was even a special Ottoman tulip – scarlet flower with pointed petals, which could only be seen in Istanbul. Istanbul tulips were considered the more beautiful the taller and thinner the petals were. They were compared to the points of sabers, with the curve of women's eyebrows, or with graceful Arabic letters. Even then, every spring they organized a holiday dedicated to these flowers. Only at the very end of the 16th century were tulips brought to Holland, where they quickly took root and fell in love. And «Tulip mania», which swept Europe in the 17th century, gave reason to mistakenly believe that Holland is the birthplace of tulips, which today is the main producer of cut tulips and planting material.
Recently, Turkey decided to revive the tradition of holding holidays dedicated to these flowers as a tribute to centuries-old traditions, and regain the glory of the kingdom of tulips. The first festival was held in the city in 2005 under the slogan «The most beautiful tulips grow in Istanbul». And although ancient varieties of Ottoman tulips have been lost, breeders have still managed to develop some species of this beautiful royal flower.
The best Turkish landscape designers try to surprise residents and guests of the city with their bright compositions (Photo: Vladimir Kezling)
And now, every spring, millions of tulips of more than 100 varieties bloom again in Istanbul. Flower bulbs for the festival are grown mainly in Konya, but some of them are supplied by rural residents of the outskirts of Istanbul. Result – is a magnificent spring tulip flower festival that turns the city into a kingdom of blue, red, purple, pink, white, orange and yellow flowers. They bloom alternately as late and early varieties are planted, which allows this beauty to be extended by almost two months.
Traditionally, all the main events of the festival take place in Emirgan Park, where you can see especially beautiful and large tulips. In general, these flowers, combined into stunningly beautiful compositions, decorate almost all city streets, squares, parks, giving everyone great pleasure and pleasure. The best Turkish landscape designers try to surprise residents and guests of the city with their bright compositions of all kinds of tulips.
Visiting here during the tulip festival – is an unforgettable experience (Photo: Vladimir Kezling)
In addition to fresh flowers, during the festival, the streets of Istanbul are decorated with luxurious painted sculptures of tulips made by local craftsmen. A stage richly decorated with tulips is installed in the central square, where concerts with the participation of popular musicians and singers are organized over several days of the holiday.
The festival also includes exhibitions of various varieties of tulips, paintings and panels made from fresh flowers, flower shows in city parks, meetings of manufacturers and buyers, and, of course, a fair where you can buy bulbs of the rarest varieties and everything necessary for cultivation. Indeed, in addition to tourists and tulip lovers, professional flower growers and breeders also come to Istanbul for the festival.
According to legend, happiness is hidden at the bottom of the tulip... (Photo: Vladimir Kezling)
Istanbul – is a city of stunning beauty and ancient history. And visiting here during the tulip festival – is an unforgettable experience. By the way, in Turkey there is a legend that happiness is hidden at the bottom of a tulip. That is why the Turks take such care of this flower. They also believe that when you see a tulip, like a beautiful woman once, you fall in love forever.