While I am doing my best to keep straight all that I am learning about Byzantine and Ottoman history one story I will not forget is the Turkish tulip story. Kazakistan, the ancestral birthplace of many of todays current Turks is also where tulips came from originally. In the 1600’s when the Dutch East India Company was looking for new products to bring to Europe they were struck by these beautiful flowers that grew in the gardens of Topkapi Palace. The Dutch asked the Suleman’s permission to try bring some to the the Netherlands to see if they would grown in their climate. He granted permission and you know how the rest of the story goes….

Reproduction of tulip design similar to that found in Topkapi Palace tiles -

Tulip logo on our bus in Cappadocia.