The Istanbul Tulip Festival is an annual event that takes place April 1-30 in Istanbul, Turkey. This year, the 16th Tulip Festival will be held.
The festival celebrates the city’s deep-rooted history and cultural bond with the tulip and is an opportunity for visitors to see the beautiful tulip gardens and enjoy a variety of cultural events.
During the festival, various tulip gardens in the city are opened to the public, and visitors have the chance to see a wide variety of tulips in different colors and shapes.
The Istanbul Tulip Festival festival usually takes place in Istanbul in Emirgan Park, Gulhane Park, and many more. Organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the festival aims to promote the city’s cultural heritage and promote tourism.
The festival also includes activities such as traditional music and dance performances, photography exhibitions, and tulip-growing workshops. In addition, the decoration of many parks and public spaces in Istanbul with tulips throughout the festival contributes to the general atmosphere of the city.
Are tulips native to Holland?
Tulips are not native to the Netherlands (Holland). They are believed to have originated in Central Asia, specifically in the region that includes present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
They were brought to Europe by traders and travelers in the 16th century, and the Netherlands quickly became a major center for the cultivation and trade of tulips.
The Dutch climate and soil proved to be ideal for growing tulips, and Dutch horticulturists began to develop new varieties of flowers.
The Tulip Mania of the 17th century, in which the prices of tulip bulbs skyrocketed, solidified the Netherlands as the center of tulip cultivation and trade. Despite this, Tulips are not native to the Netherlands, but they have been extensively cultivated and hybridized in the country for centuries, making it the center of the tulip trade and culture.
Questions about the Turkish tulip
We will give short answers to questions you may have about the Turkish tulip.
Where are the tulips from?
Tulips are thought to have spread to the Ottoman Empire and then to Europe in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. It is generally thought that tulips are Central Asian.
Why are tulips called tulips?
There is a strong opinion that the word “tulip” comes from the Persian word “dulband” meaning “turban” or the Arabic word “tülbend”.
What is the national flower of Turkey?
The traditional and national flower of Turkey, which came from the Ottoman Empire, is the tulip. You can see tulips in all of Turkey’s palaces and old parks.
When Istanbul Tulip festival?
The Istanbul tulip festival is held every year between April 1 and 30, with the arrival of spring.
The annual Tulip Festival in Istanbul began in 2006 when the municipal government started planting millions of brightly coloured fragrant tulips all across the city.
Suddenly Istanbul’s parks, squares, avenues and even traffic roundabouts were blooming, much to the delight of Istanbulites and visitors alike.
This month-long Istanbul festival of tulips has gradually grown in size with an estimated 30 million tulips planted in recent years.
As Istanbul events go, this is one of the best, as the atmosphere of the city is completely transformed by the vibrant flowers growing everywhere. The bursts of colour also remind you that the city’s winter days are behind it and you can look forward to spring.
Istanbul had an unusually mild and dry January with temperatures between 17°C – 19°C on some days.
February and March have been all over the place: we’ve had some freezing days in the single digits (sometimes as low as 0°C during the day but feeling like -7 with the wind chill) and other days where the temperature has been as high as 22°C and we didn’t need our coats!
So what does all this mean for the tulips?
On our most recent visit to Emirgan Park on the 27th of March 2023, we found that tulips had bloomed in some areas but in many others, they still hadn’t flowered yet (possibly as a result of the weird weather).
So, if you time your visit for the beginning of April, you’ll certainly get to see some tulips in bloom. By mid-April, all the tulips should be flowering.
The four photographs below were taken in Emirgan Park during our latest visit. You can see how the tulips have already flowered in some areas and not in others.
Lots of other flowers, like the stunning hyacinths below, have been planted around the park too and are already flowering. So if you arrive in early April you’ll be able to enjoy those as well!
FAQs About the Tulip Festival Istanbul 2023
When is the Tulip Festival Turkey 2023?
The tulip festival takes place in Istanbul from 1st to 30th April. Tulips bloom throughout this month, though obviously this depends on the weather.
How long does the Tulip Festival last?
Usually the festival goes on for about a month but depending on the weather, the tulips can last longer.
I am visiting Istanbul in May. Will I see tulips then?
If you visit Istanbul in early May, you could catch some of the last tulips in bloom but we’d recommend visiting earlier if you want to see the tulips at their peak. May is the season for roses though so the city’s parks and gardens are gorgeous then too!
Where is the closest tulip show to Taksim and Sultanahmet?
You will see tulips gardens in Sultanahmet Square around the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosques. The tulip garden of Gülhane Park is also only 2 minutes by tram or a 12 minute walk away from Sultanahmet. Both of these gardens are easily accessible from Taksim.
