Turkish Rose Absolute Orpur

Rosa damascena likely originated in ancient Syria, spreading along trade routes that connected Persia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. References to rose fragrance appear in Chinese and Sanskrit texts dating back centuries, with early preparations involving rose petals macerated in fixed oils. The Damask rose arrived in what is now Turkey in 1894, introduced by a farmer who brought Bulgarian cultivation techniques to the Isparta region. The Ottoman Empire had already recognized the area's potential for rose cultivation, and by the early twentieth century, Isparta had earned its title as the City of Roses. The physician Avicenna documented rose's effects on mood and cognition in his medieval writings, praising rose water for its benefits to the mind. The first large-scale distillery opened in Isparta in 1934, transitioning rose production from cottage industry to industrial scale while maintaining the hand-harvesting traditions that define the ingredient's character.