This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows blooming tulips at the historical Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Türkiye. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)
ISTANBUL, April 20 (Xinhua) -- With tulip season in full swing, Istanbul's famous parks and gardens have been dressed up for an annual grand occasion.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has planted over 7.7 million flowers, including tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils, around the city as part of its annual floral celebrations, which kicked off on April 15 and will run until the end of the month.
This year's event coincides with Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and has attracted many local residents and tourists.
Emirgan Park, one of the city's largest, is one of five public parks participating in the tulip festivities, featuring children's shows, workshops, street performances, and recitals. Visitors over the weekend were eager to take photographs of the nearly 3.5 million tulips planted in Emirgan.
This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows tulips in the Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)
Tulips were a symbol of prosperity in the Ottoman Empire, and the period between 1718 and 1730 is even referred to as "the Tulip Era" because of a tulip craze among Ottoman elites. A period of peace and prosperity, the era saw a renaissance in Ottoman art and architecture as well as extensive cultural interactions with the rest of the world, mainly the Europeans.
The Netherlands would eventually become the new hub of tulips only after the end of the Tulip Era.
In 2005, the Istanbul municipality started an initiative to expand the production of different tulip species in Türkiye and launched the first Tulip Festival.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Tulip Foundation launched the "Our Historical Legacy: the Tulip" project to enhance the flower's visibility around the city. The foundation will give out 600,000 tulips to visitors at Istanbul's prominent museums and cultural centers, such as the Dolmabahce and Topkapi Palaces.
A man and his son take selfies with tulips in Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 15, 2023. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)
This photo taken on April 15, 2023 shows blooming tulips alongside the Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye.(Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)■