Why Tulips Proliferated in Turkey and Were Revered During the Ottoman Era

Every time April arrives, Turkey prepares to host one of its most famous celebrations, the Tulip Festival. Streets, city parks, and green open spaces are adorned with millions of tulips in various colours and shapes. In 2016, for instance, more than 30 million tulips were planted to enliven the festival. This festival is an effort to revive an old tradition from the Ottoman Empire, which was once an important symbol in the history of the Islamic world. In fact, when Turkey designed its diplomatic mission building in New York, the tulip shape was chosen as the architectural inspiration because it is considered an icon of Ottoman history. One of the Ottoman rulers most famous for his love of tulips was Sultan Ahmed III (1703–1730). During spring, he spent most of his time attending tulip festivals with his grand vizier, Ibrahim Pasha. The sultan’s passion for these festivals was so great that one day, the French ambassador had difficulty securing an audience with him. The meeting was only arranged after the intervention of Princess Fatimah Sultan, which subsequently led Ibrahim Pasha to leave the festival to meet the diplomat.