Tulips have given their beautiful colours to the world, to the point that they have become a major trade. They are also used to make many important medicines, especially for the eyes. Because of their beauty they have become a favourite gift for every occasion — visits, welcomes, celebrations and more. Above all, the tulip has also become the flower of love. According to the legend of Şirîn and Ferhad, when news of Şirîn’s death reached Ferhad, he was so overcome with grief that he threw himself and his horse from the mountain. The legend says that wherever a drop of Ferhad’s blood fell, a tulip grew — and so, because of Ferhad’s faithfulness to Şirîn, the tulip became the symbol of love.
Habitat
The Zagros mountain range. Tulips reached Europe from the Ottoman Empire in the 1550s and came to Holland through the diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq.
Season
Spring. The bulbs are planted in autumn and the flowers open in spring.
The name Tulipa
It is said that the name tulip comes from the Turkish tülbent (turban), but the Turks in turn took it from dolbend, a word of the Iranian peoples. It is believed that this flower was already growing in the Zagros mountains, under its own name, before the Turks arrived there. The Arabs have a different story and say the flower is more or less theirs and spread from their lands. An independent scientific study is needed to establish its correct native name.
Written by Weysî Silêman Elî · Last updated 28 September 2026
