Gardens of Istanbul: Finding peace in a bustling city

Seen from above, Istanbul appears to be made of thousands of buildings. It’s only after you land you discover a delightful oasis with Turkish history woven into their flowerbeds and profuse greenery. Here are eight must see gardens of Istanbul.

Here are top 8 gardens of Istanbul

1) Gulhane Park, Sirkeci

Gulhane Park was once the private playground of the Topkapi Palace harem. Today it’s popular with tourists who pose for selfies and breathe in the scents of nature from more than 1,100 trees across 24 species.

Many are unaware there’s an 18-meter-high stone pillar, the Column of the Goths, dating to the 3^rd century CE in the park, or know the small cistern erected sometime between the 5th and 7th centuries was used as an aquarium in the 20^th century when the grounds contained a small zoo.

Then there’s the Ataturk memorial. Crafted by Austrian sculptor Heinrich Kripple in 1926, it’s believed to be one of the first statues of a human figure displayed in the new Turkish Republic.

2) Terra Santa Monastery, Beyoglu

When the crowds on Istiklal Caddesi, the one-and-a-half-kilometer pedestrian street that stretches from Taksim to Tunel get too much, head for Terra Santa Monastery.

The buildings in St. Theresa Monastery were constructed between the 16th and 19th centuries CE and abandoned in the 20^th.

After major restoration work by the city council, it reopened as a cafe in 2022. Entry is via a low stone doorway on Postacilar Sokak where stairs lead to a tree shaded courtyard with views across rooftops.

3) Fransiz Yetimhanesi, Tom Tom Mahallesi, Beyoglu

In Beyoglu’s Tom Tom neighborhood a former French orphanage lies beyond an unassuming doorway.

The Fransiz Yetimhanesi was built on land granted to the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in 1866 by Sultan Abdulaziz in appreciation of their help during the 1865 cholera epidemic in Istanbul.

When the orphanage moved to Bebek in 1957 a family of plaster mache masters moved in, opening a work shop and museum showcasing copies of their work. The originals are in Yildiz Palace, Pera Palas and elsewhere.

After a legal battle the city council took over in 2022. Now the garden, full of flowering plants, fruit trees and a fountain reminiscent of a European village, makes a peaceful setting for a small cafe.

4) Validebag Korusu, Altunizade, Uskudar

Owned by a series of Sultan’s starting from the 18^th century, Validebag Korusu in Uskudar contains a vast range of plants from around the world including rare species of trees from the Atlas Mountains and Himalayas. Credit for its botanical heritage belongs to Bezmialem Valide Sultan, Sultan Abdulmecid’s mother.

After she died a later owner, Sultan Abdulaziz, had a house built for his mother Pertevniyal Valide Sultan in 1853, by famed architect Nigogos Balyan. Ownership passed to his sister Adile Sultan in 1883.

Her mansion, Adile Sultan Kasri, contains a museum dedicated to Kemal Sunal, the much-loved Turkish comic actor. A small cafe in the grounds serves tea, Turkish coffee and basic snacks. Blue minibuses from Kadikoy stop beside the gates.

5) Ozgurluk Park, Goztepe, Kadikoy

Ozgurluk Park, or Freedom Park, opened in 2005 to provide much needed green space for local residents in Kadikoy. Its 120 hectares are beautifully kept with creative topiary, a pretty ornamental pond, walking track, playgrounds, exercise equipment, sports’ courts and picnic tables shaded by mature trees.

Wednesdays there’s an organic market inside the park and a street bazaar along the perimeter on Mondays. Popular with families celebrating children’s birthday parties, summer sees concerts and plays performed in the small amphitheater.

The nearest station is Goztepe Marmaray.

6) Ataturk Kent Ormani, Sariyer

Walk ten minutes from the Haciosman Metro stop and you’ll find yourself in Ataturk Kent Ormani, a city forest of more than 1,000 acres. Opened in 2020, its 12 kilometers of walking paths shaded by leafy canopies of redwood, aspen and other trees and scented by herb gardens, wind down past three ponds where kingfishers, mallards and herons call to one another from wild fruit trees.

There’s a picnic area, two cafes, outdoor exercise equipment, a children’s playground and public toilets on the grounds.

7) Emirgan Park, Emirgan

Every April vibrant colors ripple down the banks of the Bosphorus in Emirgan Park as the city celebrates the Istanbul Tulip Festival. Once privately owned by a series of Ottoman dignitaries, including Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha, Emirgan opened to the public in 1943.

Along with over 120 types of flora, three kosk, that’s pavilions, decorate the park. Named for the color of their paintwork, Pembe, Sari and Beyaz Kosk are prime examples of 19^th century Ottoman architecture.

Pembe, the pink pavilion was originally a hunting lodge and now operates as a restaurant. Sari, yellow, was designed by architect Sarkis Balyan in the style of a Swiss chalet embellished to appear like a giant carved birdhouse. Beyaz Kosk is also credited to Balyan.

The most enjoyable way to get there is by ferry from Eminonu.

8) Baltalimani Japanese Gardens, Baltalimani

Baltalimani Japanese Gardens opened in 2003 to celebrate the Year of Türkiye in Japan, but the two countries have a much older connection. In 1890, a frigate in the Ottoman Navy, the Ertugrul, hit a reef and sank in a typhoon off the coast of the Wayayama Prefecture. Sadly 500 crew drowned and the 69 survivors were returned to Türkiye through Japan’s efforts.

Sheltered behind a high wall, sakura, flowering cherry trees, cast dappled light across manicured lawns.

A small waterfall and a series of ponds dot the grounds, planted with around 4,850 trees and shrubs. Water flows beneath wooden bridges and past a gazebo perfect for quiet contemplation and an elegant yogetsuan, a Japanese tea room.

Catch a bus from Kabatas to the Baltalimani stop.