One of the recreation grounds in Istanbul was at Ihlamur. Ihlamur is on the slopes of Yıldız Hill where the Ihlamur valley, through which runs the Fulya stream, joins Hacı Hüseyin Bağları, which included the Ihlamur recreation grounds and Muhabbet gardens.
The grounds of the still-extant Ihlamur Kasrı, the place formerly known as Hacı Hüseyin Bağları, passed into the hands of the sultans who built rustic lodges there. Abdülhamid I, Selim II, and Mahmud II came here for sport and relaxation. In 1791, during the reign of Selim III, a pool and reception hall were constructed here while Sultan Abdülmecid forested the area and reorganized it. Abdülmecid often came here, and he received Lamartine here in 1846. Between 1855 and 1857, the old wooden lodge was torn down and two pavilions, one for ceremonies and the other for the household, were constructed. The pool between the two pavilions in this rose-filled garden was repaired and renovated during restorations between 1978 and 1985.
The text for this entry is adapted from Nurhan Atasoy, Garden for the Sultan, 290–93.
Source: Travel Account, 19th century
-Nurhan Atasoy, Seyit Ali Kahraman
Sources:
A Garden for the Sultan: Gardens and Flowers in the Ottoman Culture (Open in Zotero)
Eski Türk bahc̦eleri ve özellikle eski İstanbul bahc̦eleri (Open in Zotero)
Türk bahçeleri (Open in Zotero)
Originally published at: Atasoy, Nurhan, and Seyit Ali Kahraman “Ihlamur Garden.” Middle East Gardens Traditions. Dumbarton Oaks, December 1, 2014. https://www.doaks.org/resources/middle-east-garden-traditions/catalogue/C98. Archived at: https://perma.cc/5UDZ-R9BM.
