Tulip cruise filling up
As we get closer to knowing just how many folks will be accompanying me on the Tulip River Cruise to Holland and Belgium in the spring of 2019, I have been doing a little research on the history of the flower that is synonymous to the region.
Of course, it’s not just tulips and famous gardens we will be enjoying on the trip as we are also visiting historical cities and landmarks, along with cheese factories and other things significant to the area.
My focus for this article, however is the tulip, as it has the most fascinating beginnings that include market crashes and a sultan’s floral desires.
The tulip originated in Turkey where it grew as a wild flower and was first cultivated in the 11th century. In the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire, the sultan of the time became enamored with this flower and demanded cultivation of certain forms for his garden.
The name tulip actually means “turban” in Turkey and it is thought that stems from its vague resemblance to the traditional head piece.
Popularity as a garden plant reached its height during the 18th century in Turkey.
Every spring, an extravagant and hugely expensive tulip festival was put on by Sultan Ahmed III in his palace gardens. Unfortunately, the public was not impressed with the amount of money he spent on these extravagances and he was assassinated by a dissatisfied conspirator.
Tulip breeding during this time in Persia was rampant and in one of the oldest books on the subject, over 1,550 varieties are described or mentioned.
Sultan Ahmed III was instrumental prior to his untimely death in spreading the tulip out of Turkey, mostly because he regularly presented tulip bulbs to the various dignitaries who visited his palace.
They, in turn, took them back to their respective countries and planted them in their personal gardens. One of them was the Nobleman Oscar de Busbecq of Austria, who decided to send some to his friend Carolus Clusius, who, in turn, brought the bulbs to Holland, and the rest as they say is history.
The growing conditions in Holland with its sandy, rich in nutrient soil, was the perfect breeding ground for taking the cultivation and marketing of the tulip to the next level.
Even the painters of the time got involved. Most of us are familiar with some of Rembrandt’s famous paintings of mostly striped tulips, in fact there is actually a group of striped tulips which are now called Rembrandts.
Exploring the wonderful cities and countryside of this beautiful part of the world while floating comfortably down the canals and rivers of Holland and Belgium in a modern vessel will bring the wonderful history of the tulip even closer.
There will be lots of free time to do our own thing as well as organized tours and events, which will create memories for a lifetime.
If you would like to get the full scoop on this colourful, historical excursion, call Gail at 250-868-2540 or email gail.fritsen@marlintravel.ca.tributed by Marlin Travel