Gulhane Park - one of the oldest parks in Istanbul, lying on slopes gently descending to the seashore, was part of the Topkapi Palace Gardens. In the era of the Ottoman Empire, beautiful roses were grown here (gülhane - rose yard), and numerous palace pavilions stood on the territory. Most of these graceful buildings burned down during a strong fire in 1863. From the end of the 19th century, when the park was opened to everyone, it gradually began to run wild and fall into disrepair. Due to the numerous public events held here in the second half of the 20th century, the park was destroyed more and more and in 2001 it was closed.
After the restoration (2001-2003) Gülhane Park appeared again almost in its former splendor. The area occupied by green spaces has been increased by 20%. Now in the park there are about 80 thousand rose seedlings, 24 thousand tulips and almost 2 thousand trees (mainly plane trees, oaks and elms). More than 300 new garden benches have been installed on the territory, terraces and footbridges have been restored. During the summer months, performances of the puppet theater of shadows Karagyoz-Khadzhivat are held here. The park can be accessed either from the side of the city (from the Gülhane tram stop, through the Soğukçeşme gate or from the first courtyard of the Topkapi Palace), or from the northeast, from the Kennedy Cad., which runs along the coast, also called Sahil Yolu (Coastal Highway). From the observation deck on Cape Saraiburnu, from the monument to Kemal Ataturk, you can see the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. Historical monuments also remained in Gulhane Park - on the northern slope, almost opposite the premises of the harem of the Topkapı Palace, the ruins of a Byzantine cistern, near which archaeological excavations are being carried out, and next to the northeastern entrance, a high marble column called the Column of the Goths.