Judas Trees in Turkey are amazing in Springtime, which is definitely the best time to visit Turkey. Trees and flowers of different kinds of blossom and turn the whole county into a painting with a thousand different colors. Redbud tree or better known as Judas tree is one of them. Judas tree can be seen on the west coast of Turkey and in northwestern Turkey. Turkish people love this tree like the Japanese love their Sakura. Judas tree is the symbol tree of Istanbul city. You will love a cruise on the Bosporus. You can see thousands of Judas trees planted on the Asian and European side of Istanbul. Flowers of this tree are purple at the end of April and flowers turn into pink later in May. Judas tree keeps its flowers till June.
The story behind the name of Judas Tree
Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ. Judas was paid thirty pieces of silver by the Romans to tell them the location of Christ. Roman authorities caught Jesus after the betrayal of Judas, and this event led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Judas realizes the results of his actions and feels great remorse. He decides to commit suicide by hanging himself on a branch of a redbud tree. Redbud trees had white flowers until this moment. Redbud’s white flowers turned into red like a blushing face after learning it helped Judas to kill himself. That’s why redbud started to be known as the Judas tree. (Matthew 27:1–10)
Purple: Color of the royalty
Purple used to be the hardest to obtain color in the antiquity. This made purple the most expensive color. Eventually, purple became the symbol of the emperors and royalty in the Roman Empire. This tradition can be still seen in the Cardinal’s clothes at Vatican City. Ottoman royalty inherited this tradition from the Byzantine Empire, which led Judas tree to be planted in places such as Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahce Palace.
Top places to see Judas tree in Turkey
- Emirgan Grove in Istanbul
- Bosphorus of Istanbul
- Troy in Canakkale
- Ephesus Ancient City
- Eyup Mosque
- Pierre Lotti Hill
- Miletus Ancient City
- Topkapi Palace
- Dolmabahce Palace
You can contact me anytime to like to learn more about the Judas tree and place of the Judas tree in Turkish Culture. I love to host you on any given day of spring. We can have the best photos with the Judas trees in the background. See you soon, Hasan Gülday.
