site.btaIstanbul Hosts Tulip Festival in April

Istanbul, which connects Europe with Asia, these days is dotted with blooming spring flowers. The numerous tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, muscari that bloomed in the parks and gardens of the city create a beautiful colorful pageant. The Tulip Festival is celebrated throughout the month of April, with about 8 million flowers planted, said the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Some 158 species of tulips, 7 species of hyacinths, 8 species of daffodils and muscari will welcome the inhabitants of Istanbul this month. 

The picturesque Emirgan Korusi Park, which offers an impressive view of the Bosphorus, Sultanahmed Square, Goztepe Park on the Asian coast, Hidiv Kasri are uhere the various attractions of the Tulip Festival take place, are a colorful pageant. Visitors are offered various attractions, music and dance, workshops, literary readings. Favorite performers and urban orchestras give concerts on the open stages in the parks. The Tulip Festival in Istanbul has been organized since 2006. 

The tulip is one of the symbols of the city and has an important place in the history of Turkiye. The Tulip Era (Lale Devri) is called the period towards the end of the 18th century, when the Ottoman Empire saw an upsurge in music, poetry, culture, and Western intellectuals increasingly turned their attention to Ottoman culture, lifestyle and traditions. Tulips as an element are depicted on the tiles in mosques and palaces, in ceramic and textile designs, on the streets and graffiti. The tulip is also a symbol of the metropolitan municipality of Istanbul. In the March 31 local elections, for the second time, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu won the mayoral post for a five-year term with the votes of more than 4 million people. For the second time in Turkiye's history, Istanbul's mayoral office has been won by the Republican People's Party (CHP) founded by Atatürk.