No, there is not a natural black rose in Turkey.
In the travel sphere, it often seems like there's as much misinformation on the internet as there is information.Good travel writers go to great lengths to vet destinations and travel-related subjects that appear here because this applies to stories that seem to good (or too weird) to believe.
It might seem promising if you do basic research into the black rose that grows only in a village in southeastern Turkey.The Halfeti rose doesn't exist, and it's much quicker to learn that than the rest of the internet.If you travel all the way to the remote village of Halfeti in southeastern Turkey, you won't see the black rose that only grows there.
The good news?It's quite a trek to get to Halfeti from Istanbul or Ankara, but if you're already in Turkey, it might be worth it.Just a second, more on that.
Mentions of the black rose of Halfeti are mostly on social media.Search engines and other non- social sources might be promising for initial research.One of the first articles you'll come across will be on Teleflora, a large and seeminglyReputable Australian florist.It didn't seem hyperbolic even if you're a "gotcha" at the end of the article or that it was originally published on April 1.
When you start looking for pictures of the Turkish black roses, you will realize something is up.It's not hard to notice that the photos of the "black" roses have their saturation completely turned down, even if you're not a professional photographer.Black-and-white photos of roses that grow in your garden are what they are.If a black rose existed, color photos of them would also, right?
Then, of course, you'd head back to the internet and start searching for more specific words, which resulted in a lot of articles that will make you feel stupid for believing the Turkey black rose hoax in the first place.
Local tourism authorities in Halfeti may have been behind the hoax.The rumor was originated almost a decade ago on an obscure Japanese website.Halfeti's limited appeal to foreign tourists, minus the false rumors about a black rose that grows there, is what makes it so special.
Halfeti is not a major tourist destination, even if you remove the black rose myth from your memory.Halfeti fell victim to a Turkish government program that sought to harness the nearby Euphrates river for agricultural and energy purposes.
A "new" Halfeti has been built, combining reconstructions of old landmarks as well as completely new buildings.The "old" Halfeti is only half-submerged, which means that visitors can see some of the sights in and around the old town.
SanliurFA Airport has daily nonstop service from Istanbul and Ankara.If you want to travel between Sanliurfa and Halfeti, you'll need to hire a driver or rent a car.When you realize that there are no black roses waiting for you here, it can be expensive.