Importance of the Tulip in Turkish Culture and as Art from Central Asia to Anatolia

Abstract

The article deals with one particular flower, which would become a symbol of Turkish culture and also an important source of economic revenue. Its preponderance in architecture and in the arts, goes beyond the physical beauty of the tulip. But which other factors contributed to its proliferation? This article posits that there is a close similarity in Arabic script between the words for “God” (Allah) and for “Tulip” (lale), thus kindling a spiritual dimension to this flower. Furthermore, its thin, elongated shape enabled it to be used in the corners of doors and windows, often in public and religious places. Its cultural versatiltiy created a strong domestic demand in the Ottoman empire, which would in due course generate great commercial interest from beyond Turkey’s boundaries.