Emirgan Park
Emirgan Park is a large, historic public park in the Emirgan neighborhood of Istanbul, on the European side along the Bosphorus. It covers about 117 acres (470,000 square meters) on a hillside and is surrounded by high walls. It’s one of Istanbul’s biggest and most popular parks, ideal for jogging, picnics, and enjoying the scenery.
Long ago the area was a Cypress Forest called Kyparades. In the 16th century it was given to a government official, and in the 17th century Sultan Murad IV gave the land to Emir Gûne Han. The name gradually became Emirgan. Over the years the park changed owners several times. By the 1860s it was owned by Isma’il Pasha, the Khedive of Egypt, who lived there in exile after being deposed. He built a wooden seaside villa and three pavilions, which still stand today. In the 1930s his heirs sold the park to a Turkish businessman, who in the 1940s donated the park to the City of Istanbul.
Today the park features two decorative ponds and more than 120 plant species, including many rare trees such as various pines, cedars, oaks, and maples. It is a favorite spot for locals to relax, jog, and have picnics.
Three historic pavilions line the park: the Yellow Pavilion (Sarı Köşk), the Pink Pavilion (Pembe Köşk), and the White Pavilion (Beyaz Köşk). The Yellow Pavilion, built by Isma’il Pasha as a hunting lodge, is the main base of the park and now hosts a cafe. The Pink Pavilion, also a former residence, serves as a weekend cafe and can be rented for events, with capacity ranging from about 150 people in winter to 350 in summer (cocktails up to 500). The White Pavilion is a neo-classical two-story building used as a daytime cafe and an evening Ottoman-Turkish restaurant.
Emirgan Park is closely tied to the tradition of tulips in Istanbul. A dedicated tulip garden was created in the 1960s, and since 2005 an annual international tulip festival has been held every April, making the park especially colorful.
The park is administered by Istanbul’s Metropolitan Municipality.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:05 (CET).