The tulip flower garden is one of the annual attractions of Chamran Park in the season of May, which usually starts at the beginning of May every year and lasts until about the middle of this month. Although sometimes the exact dates of this festival differ by a few days compared to the previous years, due to the time of planting the tulip bulbs and other factors such as heat and rain. Every year, this beautiful collection is well received by people who come for an enjoyable visit from all over Iran.
Chamran Park’s flowers and plants exhibition was established for the first time in 2014 with an area of 30 thousand square meters. There are more than 300 species of flowers and plants in this spectacular garden; Cropsis, cloves, succulents, Indian jasmine, Cercis siliquastrum, trumpet vine, etc. are some of the special plants and flowers that are shown to the visitors in this garden. It’s noteworthy to know that the largest and the most famous flower carpet in the Middle East is also created in this garden and adds boundless beauty and a uniquely Persian spirit to the whole garden. The purpose of establishing this garden in 2014 was to introduce different kinds of flowers and plants to those interested, to institutionalize the culture of paying more attention and care to flowers and plants, to create a sense of vitality and motivation, and spirit in the visitors, artistic photography, and finally, to create a beautiful tourist attraction in the Alborz province.
Tulip is a plant native to cold and mountainous regions that grows in Afghanistan, Turkey, and the Iranian plateau, and Europeans had no knowledge of it until the 16th century.
Over time, this flower was sent to Austria and then to the Netherlands through the Ottoman government and was well cultivated in that country to the point that today the Netherlands is famous for its tulip and rose exports, and tulip is in fact considered a symbol of this country. But it should be known that the tulips of the Iranian plateau are actually the mother of all tulips in the world; Therefore, if one country is to be recognized as the symbol of this flower in the world, it should be Iran.
The Persian word “Laaleh (tulip)” means red. It’s derived from the Sanskrit word La’al, which means red. In the 16th century during the Seljuk period, this flower was imported to Europe. Many people offered tulips to each other on the day of love and considered it a symbol of care and commitment. Little by little, this beautiful flower also grew in Iran.
In the 17th century, the price of tulip bulbs in the Netherlands rose so much in less than a year that the phenomenon of “tulip mania” was formed among people. Very quickly, tulips gained a special place among the people, to the point where they became a recurring image in the paintings of the period.
Among the Islamic countries, tulips have had a deep influence in the culture of Iran and Turkey. Various species of tulip have been identified in Iran. Since 1981, the classification of tulips has been started by the Royal General Bulb Growers’ Association (KAVB).
There are 100 to 150 different types of natural tulips and more than 3000 varieties of tulips have been produced by breeding and selective cultivation. In regions where the climate is cold, tulips are permanent vegetation. The short life span of this beautiful flower is about two months at most. Around the slopes of the mountains in our beloved country, Iran, tulips have perfumed the region with their aromatic scent. Some tulip colors are very rare, so they are more valuable and relatively expensive. One of the rare types of tulips is black tulips. Different types of tulips that are red in color can be found under the name of the Red Emperor.
Laaleh (tulip) has been a recurring word and symbol in Persian literature as well. Standing for all that is beautiful, blood, martyrs or martyrdom, etc, has been reflected in many poems for different uses. For example, in this poem by Sa’adi, the tulip is known for its redness and the way it reminds him (Sa’adi) of his beloved’s glowing and rosy face:
ز رنگ لاله مرا روی دلبر آید یاد
ز شکل سبزه مرا یاد خط یار آید
Transliteration:
Ze-rang-e-laaleh-maraa-rooy-e-delbar-aayad-yaad
Ze-shekl-e-sabzeh-maraa-yaad-e-khatt-e-yaar-aayad
Translation:
Tulip’s color reminds me of beloved’s face
And the grass reminds me of beloved’s sideburns