A wide river of bright tulips overflows in Emirgan Park in Istanbul. She divides it into two parts. Park visitors cross the flower river on a low pedestrian bridge. The 2024 Tulip Festival is held in parks and squares of the city.
About five million bulbs were planted in five locations.
The Turks claim that the tulip comes from their territory. The flower gained particular popularity during the Ottoman Empire. The festival organizers want to return the tulip to its former glory as the country’s cultural heritage.
The Tulip Festival extends beyond city parks. The Istanbul Tulip Museum hosts exhibitions dedicated to this flower.
The museum displays everyday items with tulip motifs: old banknotes, coffee mugs and newspapers. All this is evidence of the popularity of the flower in Turkish culture since ancient times.
