Where can you experience the tulip season in Istanbul in April?

The tulip is considered a symbol of the Netherlands, but it went to Europe from Istanbul in the 16th century; it was the flower of Ottoman gardens, and a period in the early 18th century is now called the Tulip Era. Since 2005 the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has planted millions of tulip bulbs in the city's parks every April, and for a month the city wears the colours of its own history. Emirgan Park is the heart of the festival. On 47 hectares of hillside above the Bosphorus, hundreds of thousands of tulips are planted in patterns; the beds in front of the Yellow Pavilion are the most photographed. At weekends cars cannot enter the park, so come to Emirgan by bus or ferry and be there before 9 a.m.; by afternoon the crowds are as dense as the tulips. Add the Sakıp Sabancı Museum next door to the same day; admission is free on Tuesdays. Gülhane Park is the tulip stop for museum-goers in Sultanahmet. Beneath the plane trees of Topkapı's former garden the tulips are fewer but look more meaningful against the historic setting. In some years a giant tulip carpet is planted on Sultanahmet Square in a single design; for a few weeks it transforms the square. Yıldız Park, on the slope behind Çırağan, combines tulips with trees and ponds; it is less dense than Emirgan and therefore a calmer option. On the Asian side, the grove of the Khedive's Palace in Beykoz and Çamlıca Hill are also planted; in the Khedive's garden the Bosphorus appears behind the tulips. Timing matters. Tulips begin to open in the first week of April, peak in the middle and fade towards the end; a warm March can bring everything forward by a week. The festival programme and planting map appear in municipal announcements. A rainy April morning with wet tulip beds is better for photographs than a sunny noon. Practical notes: stepping into the beds is forbidden and picking flowers is fined. Emirgan's picnic areas fill early at weekends, so bring a flask of tea and a cushion. During tulip season the Bosphorus coastal road jams, and the ferry is the most reliable transport. And if you raise your eyes as you walk the city, you will find the tulip in İznik tiles, mosque windows and the stone carvings of old fountains; April blooms not only in the parks but inside history.