Istanbul Alive Magazine April 2014 ISTANBUL ALIVE APRIL 2014 | Page 22

ISTANBUL DESIGN TASARIM İSTANBUL

T

he Tulip Age (Lale Devri) refers
to the period between 17181730 and includes the reigns of
Sultan Ahmed III and his grand vizier,
Nevşehirli Damat Ibrahim Paşa. The
age takes its name from the great
interest shown in raising tulips by
the wealthy and court of the time.
Istanbul experienced a great deal
of innovation and changes in the
period. Grand Vizier Nevşehirli Damat
Ibrahim Paşa affected the architecture
20 • I S T A N B U L A L I V E

and public works of Istanbul through
projects he had brought from Vienna.
The Golden Horn was improved and
the Kağıthane River and Shores of
the Golden Horn were transformed
into promenadr areas, the Sadabad
Summer mansion, surrounded by
tulip gardens, was built for the
padişah in Kağıthane. These gardens
inspired the rush to raise tulips by
the wealthy A great number of villas
were built in Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi,

Bebek, Fındıklı, Alibeykõyü,
Ortaköy and Topkapı in this period.
Neighborhoods which had been
destroyed in fires were re-built.
The Tulip Period extended beyond
simple architeetural innovation. The
firs t fire brigade was founded; the
first printing press was operated by
Ibrahim Müteferrika and a tile factory
textile factory and the Yalova paper
factory were all opened in this period.
The arts and literature experienced a