While we have been familiar with the Tulip Festival held at Emirgan Preserve ever since our family moved to Istanbul, we didn't visit it till last year. Four wasted Aprils! About a week ago, our family went for the second time. This year, there are 2,800,000 tulips of 192 varieties (source). Yes! Nearly 3 million tulips in one place!
It is as impressive as it sounds. If you somehow aren't the sort of person who is impressed by fields of blooming flowers, all you would have had to do was look around at the people from all over the world coming to see it or the brides from all over the city who had come there for wedding or engagement pictures.
The arrangements of tulips above and below have stirred vague thoughts about homogeneity and diversity in my mind, but I do not have time to formulate them now. So, be content to enjoy their the beauty. (Plan a visit any year in April!)
BONUS: On the ferry ride to and from the Emirgan Park, we also got to see the old Rumeli Fortress built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror's generals. He used this fortress to gain control of the Bosphorus Straits; and 550+ years later, it is still a commanding presence. It is also very cool to explore from the inside.
