Within Ottoman culture, the tulip had a special symbolic importance and was regarded as the holiest of all the flowers. Planting tulips in gardens became fashionable throughout the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans paid a great deal of attention to the environment, and the tulip became the national symbol of the Ottomans. the carnation (Karanfil) was thought to be a symbol of the power and renewal of life. the carnation, the symbol of life, twines around and embraces the tulip, the symbol of the ‘divine’ or the source of life.