The Rose: Timeless Symbol and Medicinal Utility

05/10/2026 04:48

29/02/2024 06:49

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In examinations conducted on rose fossils, it has been understood that the rose plant existed 70 million years ago. The rose is mentioned in written sources for the first time 5000 years ago. Its homeland is Central Asia.

The rose has always been a significant plant throughout history. When Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod, it turned into a rose garden. Before his last breath, Ali requested a bouquet of roses and passed away after smelling them. In Greek mythology, it is the symbol of Aphrodite, and in Roman mythology, it is the symbol of Venus. Rose symbols were used in frescoes on the walls of Crete. In Rome, during the Nero period, there was a craze for roses; it is known that Nero slept on rose petals and adorned the floors, chairs, and tables with rose petals at banquets he hosted for the nobles. In the Chinese imperial library, it was found that there were 60 books solely about roses.

The place of the rose in Islam is unique. In Islam, the rose is a symbol of Prophet Muhammad. It is believed that its scent comes from the scent of Muhammad's skin, that even those who have a strong love connection with Muhammad smell like roses, and that angels love the scent of roses. Washing mosques, tombs, and other religious places with rose water, serving rose water at religious gatherings, and the abundant use of rose symbols in Turkish-Islamic arts, as well as frequent mention of roses in Sufi literature, are reflections of this belief.

The rose is a rare flower that reflects divine and human beauty and, in this respect, is the sultan of flowers; it has been the symbol of lovers and love and the source of inspiration for poets. In Ottoman literature, the rose-nightingale motif was approached within the framework of the lover-beloved relationship. The nightingale is the lover who will forever love the rose.

The rose was given special importance during the Ottoman period. It is known that three to four tons of rose water were brought to Ottoman palaces at once, that the rose water and rose oil used in Mecca came from the Ottomans, and that rose water had an important place in hospitality towards guests.

Roses and recipes prepared from them have been used in medicine since ancient times. Ottoman physicians, who derived the science of medicine and the art of healing from Islamic civilization, also mentioned roses and medications made from roses in most of their medical books. In Ottoman medicine, roses were generally used in the form of "rose water," "rose paste," "rose oil," and "rose sherbet." Fatma Altintas, Osmanli Tibbinda Gul, 2007

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