Ancient city's ageless trees

The ancient city of Istanbul, which was the cradle and capital of many civilizations through the ages, is also able to make time stand still in the shade of monumental trees. 5,121 trees, the youngest of which is aged fifty, serve as witnesses of the centuries of Istanbul. The trees serve as the undeniable proof that the history of city is much more than a mere collection of buildings, and are registered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, Department of Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces, as monuments in their own right, to be preserved.

ÜSKÜDAR WINS THE TITLE

The centennial trees are located on both sides of Istanbul. 2,597 of them are on the Asian side, while 2,524 are on the European side. Üsküdar boasts the largest number of such trees. The district has 969 monumental trees, and is followed by Sarıyer, which has 936, Beykoz with a monumental tree count of 909, and Beşiktaş, Fatih, and Kadıköy with 732, 494, and 271 trees respectively.

53 DISTINCT SPECIES

There are various species of monumental trees. The Asian side is home to 45 species such as sycamores, cypresses, oaks, pines, judas trees, horse chestnuts, ash trees, olive trees, sequoias, and elm trees, while the European side boasts a variety count of 53 species. Sycamores are the most common type of monumental trees.

THE OLDEST ONE IS 13 CENTURIES OLD

The monumental trees vary in terms of age as well. The oldest one is a 1377 years-old London Sycamore at Sarıyer. It is followed by a 819 years old eastern sycamore at Sarıyer, and another –791 years old– eastern sycamore at Çatalca. The youngest of the monumental trees is more than half a century old.

WORK IN PROGRESS

After a survey of more than 2 years, the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, Department of Parks, Gardens and Green Spaces identified the monumental trees in the province. The survey was not able to cover all the trees in the city, however. The project will continue in the ensuing days. Within the framework of the monumental trees project which took start in March, an e-book titled "Istanbul's Natural Heritage: Monumental Trees" was published. Those interested can use the mobile app to see which monumental trees are located in which part of Istanbul.

09 Mart 2016 Çarşamba

Etiketler : English