Audio GuideGülhane Park

Gülhane Park, found in the heart of Istanbul near the grand Topkapı Palace, offers a blend of deep history and living tranquility. Long ago, this land was part of the palace’s outer gardens during the era of the Ottoman Empire, a place where the powerful sultans and their courts enjoyed private green spaces filled with groves and roses. When the city changed in the early twentieth century, the gardens opened to the public, allowing people from all walks of life to stroll through leafy paths once reserved for royalty.

Deniz Acar

One of the most important moments here took place almost two centuries ago. In the autumn of eighteen thirty-nine, a bold speech was given here that set in motion reforms across the whole empire—promoting equality among citizens, no matter their beliefs. This is known as the Edict of Gülhane, a first step toward modernization, with voices of change echoing beneath ancient trees.

Plamen B

Across the park, you find traces of its layered past. Near winding paths, the mighty Goths’ Column stands tall—a monument from Roman times celebrating victory. Not far away, statues honor Turkish cultural icons such as the poet Âşık Veysel and the modern leader Atatürk, whose famous lesson introducing the new Turkish alphabet took place right here.

Aslı Orkutcu

The park also embraces the city’s spirit of innovation. Within the old palace stables lies the Istanbul Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam, where you can see models of inventions that shaped science from the medieval Islamic world—tools used in astronomy, medicine, and more. These displays show that the search for knowledge spans centuries and cultures.

Much has changed in recent years. Restoration efforts have revived the park’s natural beauty, removing old concrete structures and revealing mature trees planted in the eighteen hundreds. As you walk along broad avenues lined with chestnut and sycamore trees, you sense a gentle hush, broken only by the sounds of birds—sometimes colorful parrots or graceful herons nesting among the branches.

Gülhane Park is alive with cultural events. The Rose Festival, its major celebration, fills the air with sweet scents each spring, with music, dancing, and crafts set among blooming gardens. All around, ancient remnants—ruined columns, palace gates, the remains of Byzantine cisterns—demonstrate that the park’s story stretches from the days of emperors and sultans to present-day Istanbul.

Even with its deep roots, Gülhane Park belongs to everyone. Locals sip tea under towering trees, couples and families wander shaded paths, and from certain angles, you catch sparkling views down toward the Bosphorus. Here, culture and nature share space within the busy city—a green island where history breathes and modern life finds a slower rhythm, offering a peaceful retreat full of stories for each new visitor.