Tulips were revered throughout the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, found in artworks and poetry dating back thousands of years. Tulips were seen as more valuable than human life.
Turkey was the first country to cultivate the tulip. They were cultivated in the Garden of Mehmed II (1451-1481).
Like the Dutch, the Turks favoured the colour breaks in tulips where new and exotic varieties were established. In an effort to create new and interesting colours they experimented with everything from powdered paint to grape juice.
Suliemen I, (1520-1566) reigned over the Ottoman Empire. He was recognised as a great ruler, poet, philosopher and graden lover. He made the tulip the flower of the court.
Tulips were first classified in Turkey. A list was published in 1630 of the tulips grown by Sultan Murad IV (1623-1640).
The Turkish named their tulips with evocative names like 'Diamonds Envy', 'Beloved's Face' and 'Light of the Mind'.
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