History & Design:

Turkiye, whose land was settled thousands of years ago, is home to the world’s earliest Neolithic, or Stone Age, sites and its most ancient cities. Bridging two continents, Europe and Asia, it is also a modern, global economic force and a member of the G20. Home to 85 million people, Turkiye is a recognized center of scientific innovation and energy production. For the past 100 years, the country has been a republic, after centuries of monarchical Ottoman rule.

Turks came to Cleveland in two periods. The first was from the 1890s to the early 1920s, as groups emigrated to escape the Ottoman empire. The second wave began in the early 1950s, when diplomatic relations between the United States and the Turkish Republic improved, and this wave continued after U.S. immigration laws changed in 1965. Turkish immigrants in recent decades have been employed by or have attended local medical schools and universities and are well represented in scientific research work in Northeast Ohio.

The Turkish Cultural Garden hopes to inspire an understanding of this complex and multi-faceted culture. For now, visitors can see hundreds of red tulips in the garden each spring. Tulips are native to Turkiye and are a beloved part of its culture.