Would you like to visit tulip gardens this weekend? If yes, then the most beautiful ones can be found at the Emirgan Korusu, the Blue Mosque, the Hidiv Kasrı and at Çamlıca.
When good things happen unexpectedly, we become much happier than usual. Like when the sun starts to shine through a dark and gray sky, when the bus pulls up to the bus stop the second we arrive, when an adorable rosy-cheeked baby smiles at us or right when you start to nibble at your fingers while anxiously waiting for the traffic to open up in İstanbul, you come across a vibrant flower garden. You wonder how, but before you have time to finish your thoughts that "just two days ago there was noting but dirt and dried-up grass," you find yourself smiling and enjoying the beautiful scene.
Similar to the previous three years, the residents of İstanbul are celebrating the arrival of tulips in the city. Although it is very common to find tulips here, residents are particularly happy when the flowers blossom unexpectedly.
Tulips of various colors, sizes and classes have blossomed throughout historical parts of İstanbul such as in front of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.
This year especially, tulips were a big surprise for İstanbul residents because, unlike previous years, there have been no banners or flyers announcing the arrival of tulip season or any contests to celebrate the beautiful flowers. And we did not see any tulip festival announcements broadcast on television, did we? That may be because of the local elections. But the elections did not stop the tulips from blossoming. When the time comes and they feel the sunlight, they spring up! They blossom in a splash of colors, arrangements and varieties.
İstanbulites do not have to arrange a special trip to see the tulips. All they have to do is step outside and take a nice walk because tulips are everywhere -- from Taksim to Dolmabahçe, from Levent to Fulya, the Beşiktaş Barbaros Boulevard and along the Bakırköy pier, to name a few. Next time you are in the middle of a traffic jam in İstanbul, just turn around and look out your window. You are most likely going to see different hues of tulips.
While tulips blossom just about anywhere there is some soil in the city, the real collection of tulips can be found in tulip parks, gardens and plantations.
Visiting such parks is a good excuse for those who need a break from the daily grind of life and for those who have too much time on their hands and need a place to go. But tulips don't live very long, so you must be quick and go see them right away. The best places to view tulip gardens is certainly the Emirgan Korusu (a historical urban park located in one of İstanbul's finest neighborhoods along the Bosporus on the European side), Yıldız Park (located on the European side of İstanbul in the Beşiktaş district), the Hidiv Korusu (a pavilion located on the Asian side of the Bosporus), Gülhane Park (a historical, urban park in İstanbul's Eminönü district), Çamlıca (İstanbul's highest point) and Göztepe Park (located in İstanbul's Kadıköy district).
We took a tour around İstanbul on one sunny day to see the collection of tulips in the city. Emirgan Korusu is the best place for those who would like to stroll around the city while enjoying the sight of the tulips. No offense to other places, but Emirgan Korusu hosts a large variety of tulips in different colors and they are not lined up in rows, but are planted carefully to create the silhouette of a statue when they blossom.
Also, the guards at Emirgan Korusu are friendlier. They allow you to take photos and touch the tulips. It's no mystery why İskender Pala, a professor of divan literature, teaches his lessons at Emirgan each year.
The tulip gardens also display other beautiful flowers such as hyacinths and daffodils. Walking through the flower-scented gardens is refreshing.
While there are many places İstanbulites can go to see tulips, in Çamlıca the tulips have yet to blossom. Fethi Paşa and Mihribat Sultan Korular are not as rich with tulips as Emirgan; and Hidiv Kasrı and Gülhane are better but cannot compete with Emirgan. There are many different kinds of tulips in İstanbul, including the İstanbul tulip, which has an unusually sharp petal and an almond shaped flower. There used to be 1,588 different tulip species in İstanbul, but many of these became extinct over time. The İstanbul Municipality has launched efforts to replant tulips which have become extinct in İstanbul and increase the variety of tulips here.
Anyone that would like to see the tulips must go at once. If you can't go by this weekend, you might have time until next week. And if you don't go then, you will have to wait until next year. Hope you have a nice trip!
Another place where tulips can be found is in the garden square between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Thousands of tulips of colors ranging from red to yellow, white to purple and black to white await visitors.
Tulips everywhere
Parks and gardens are not the only places hosting tulips. One can find different varieties of tulips along main streets and town squares. There are also many tulips along the Bakırköy and Sirkeci piers and the road from Bakırköy to Yenikapı. Many İstanbulites head out to the parks and gardens over the weekend to see the tulips. Drivers, be careful not to crash while observing the beautiful tulips around you.
Benzer Haberler 
