Emirgan is one of Istanbul´s most beautiful groves, with tulip gardens, pavilions and unmatched views of the Bosporus. The grove, which is filled with a different beauty in every season, is a veritable joyful tiding in Istanbul, with thousands of tulips forming a carousel of color. Emirgan Grove, which in the period of the Byzantines was known as Kyparodes, or that is to say "cypresses," and the surrounding settlement starts in the middle of the 16th century. In the region, which was given to Feridun Bey by the marksmen of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmet Pasha, at first a summer pavilion and outbuildings are built. The construction of other buildings follows this. The grove´s name also extended to this period. Sultan Murat IV takes possession of Yerevan (Armenia) without a fight in the Yerevan Campaign. The Yerevan Guard commander Gune Han passes to the Ottoman line of soldiers and hands over the castle without any fighting. Sultan Murat IV gives the rank of vizier to Gune Han, and he grants this grove to himself. The grove, which was referred to as Feridun Garden earlier, starts to be referred to as Emirgune Grove. Over time, the name "Emirgune" changes to Emirgan. The district´s name also is referred to as Emirgan.
Yüzyıllar boyunca pek çok kez el değiştiren koru, 19. yüzyılda Osmanlı Padişahı Abdülaziz tarafından Mısır Hıdivi İsmail Paşa’ya verilir. 1871-1878 yılları arasında koru içinde 3 köşk yaptırılır. Günümüze de ulaşan bu köşkler Sarı Köşk, Pembe Köşk ve Beyaz Köşk olarak adlandırılır. 472 dönümlük bir alana sahip Emirgan Korusu, İstanbul’un en gözde dinlence yeri ve mesire alanıdır. Koru; bülbülleri, binbir çeşit çiçekleri ve 120’den fazla ağaç türü ile ilgi bugün de yerli ve yabancı turistleri çekmeye devam ediyor. Emirgan Korusu, 2006 yılından itibaren her yıl Nisan ayında gerçekleştirilen İstanbul Lale Festivali’ne de ev sahipliği yapıyor.
The grove, which changes hands many, many times over the centuries, is given to Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha by Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz in the 19th century. Between the years of 1871 and 1878 three pavilions are built in the grove. Down to our day, these pavilions are known as the Yellow Pavilion, the Pink Pavilion and the White Pavilion. Emirgan Grove, covering an area of 472,000 square meters, is Istanbul´s favorite relaxation spot and excursion area. The grove continues today to draw local and foreign tourists interested in its nightingales, one thousand and one types of flowers and more than 120 types of trees. Emirgan Grove becomes the home of the Istanbul Tulip Festival, which has been held in April every year since 2006.
