In Istanbul it is pink. Or it is purple? Rather something in between, or – as the locals say – the color of erguvan.
Every year in late April – early May, the hilly banks of the Bosphorus are covered with the pinkish-purplish blossom of the Judas tree, erguvan in Turkish, one of the main symbols of Istanbul. Spring has come rather early this year, so the strait dividing the East and the West is already blooming.
For many locals, erguvan is a far more important symbol of the city than the tulips and the festivals dedicated to them. So important that in 2011, in an online vote arranged by the city administration, the color of the blossom of this small deciduous tree was chosen by the Istanbullus as the color for the new public buses, gaining almost 35% of the votes.
During the Byzantine Empire, the erguvan color was also very popular among royal families. Being the hardest color to produce naturally, it came to be a symbol of wealth and power.
The erguvan-colored spring can be found in various places around Istanbul, but mainly in numerous parks alongside the Boshporus.
Asian side: Fenerbahçe Parkı, Çamlıca, Fethi Paşa Korusu, Anadoluhisarı Tema-Vehbi Koç Doğal Kültür Merkezi, Kanlıca Mihrabad Korusu, Beykoz Korusu.
European side: Gülhane Parkı, Bebek Türkan Sabancı Parkı, Beşiktaş Abbasağa Parkı, Yıldız Parkı, Rumelihisarı, Emirgan Parkı.
This article was originally published on April 12, 2016, by Olga Bondaruk.
