Turkish Flower meanings
Flowers are an international symbol of love and caring. They serve as a universal language to express human feelings and they are part of our daily lives. We see them in parks, on streets, and we use them as a present for special occasions. Depending on the flower and its colour we might be trying to communicate different messages, and these meanings change historically and culturally from one country to another. In this article we wanted to take an insight into Turkish flower meanings, so that we can understand a bit more about Turkish culture.
Turkish people love flowers. If you travel to Turkey you will be amazed by the amount and variety of Turkish flower found in nature, cities and aristocratic gardens (check out Topkapi Palace, Üsküder Palace and Bursa Palace gardens). This affection for floristry has most of its roots in the Ottoman Empire during which flowers were highly valued and taken for many different uses. The admiration was such that there was even a period during the Ottoman Empire called the “Tulip Era”. Ottomans also created the Flowers Lovers Association and a national flower conquest.
Tulips: National Turkish Flower
Tulips are Turkey’s national flowers, even though they are usually linked to The Netherlands. In Turkey tulips represent purity, and If the flower is red it also means love.
Tulips grow naturally in Turkey and Central Asia, and they were a cultural symbol of the region’s past empires. Tulips were used even before the Ottomans; they were a central part of Seljuk art (such as Ebru paintings) and they were planted in the capital of the Seljuk State, Konya.
When the Ottomans conquered Anatolia they built lots of gardens and parks with tulips and other flowers in cities and palaces. It was in the 16th century when European ambassadors and aristocrats were so admired by Ottoman floristry that they brought many types of flowers to their countries. One of these flowers were tulips, which were exported to The Netherlands and became, as we know now, the country’s national flower and symbol.
Turkish Rose traditions and uses
Roses are a global declaration of romantic love, but their history, uses and meanings are very ancient, and they change from one part of the globe to the other.
In Turkey roses are used as a gift, for cooking and for skin-care. You can see this site to know how it is incorporated into the skin products. The most common rose or “Gül”, as it is known in Turkish, is the Damask rose that grows in Isparta, Antalya. The region is famously known as one of the most aromatic due to its beautiful pink roses. Damask roses, as well as other types of roses in Turkey are used for food flavours, cosmetics, medical uses and religious events.
Nowadays you can taste rose petals in some Turkish delights, jams and in Lokum, and you can try its healing and skin-care properties in rose water and rose oils.
The origin and traditions of rose water
Rose water is used in many parts of the world, but legend says that the first rose water was created in 11th century Anatolia, in the region of Nusaybin. The ancient physician, doctor and philosopher Ibn- Sina, also known as Avicenna, one of the most famous Islamic medical healers of the Late Middle Ages discovered the properties of roses through his healing and medical research.
After the 11th century roses became very popular in Anatolia and the later 13th century Ottoman state. Rose water was used in Ottoman medicine against nauseas, indigestion and antidepressants. The liquid was stored in “Kumgans” (a type of jug used in the East), and it was also popular in hammams for skin care, healing and makeup. Rose water was also used in Turkish cuisine, mainly desserts such as jams, confections, icecreams, etc.
If you travel to Istanbul and visit Topkapi Palace you’ll be dazzled by the beautiful gardens. One of these gardens was named “Gülhane”, which translates into “Rose House”. According to popular stories, Sultan Mehmed II sprinkled rose water in Hagia Sophia after his conquest in the 15th century. Turkish rose water was also used in the pilgrimage to Mecca for Ka’ba oil lamps.
Modern meanings of flowers in Turkey
Whether you are planning on buying flowers for someone special or you are the lucky one that was given flowers as a present, you might be interested in the modern meanings of flowers in Turkey.
Roses are one of the most famous and romantic flowers, but depending on their colour they can mean different things. White roses represent innocence, red roses love and yellow roses affection and intimacy.
An interesting fact is that the number of roses also have different meanings:
- 1 rose represents love
- 3 roses say “I love you”
- 6 roses serve as a love declaration; they mean: “I want to be yours.”.
- 50 roses tell you: “My love for you is irresistible.”.
- 108 roses are used for marriage proposals and ask you: “Will you marry me?”.
- Finally, 999 roses represents a long love relationship.
Orchids symbolize pride and elegance. White orchids profess purity, beauty, grace and innocence; purple admiration and pink joy and happiness.
Daisies, also known as chamomile, indicate clean love, health and fertility.
If you are offered a sterlicya you are granted warm love; If it is a golden chalice it means hope, lilies represent trust and freesias express that you are innocent.
There are many other types of flowers, but in Turkey tulips and roses have a special historic significance. Who would say that flowers could teach so much about history!
We hope that now by knowing some flowers meanings it is easier for you to decide which Turkish flower is your favourite and which one to buy next time.
Did you like our article? If you want more, check out our previous article about Reşadiye Mosque: Ottoman Beauty in the center of Eskisehir