Protection and Promotion of Monumental Trees

Within the scope of the project initiated to promote and encourage the protection of monumental trees that have a history of thousands of years and are protected by law.anitaglar.gov.tr The website has been created. This site provides information on 883 of the more than 10 thousand registered monumental trees throughout Turkey. The site includes data such as the province, district, age, height, trunk diameter and crown diameter of the trees, while also mentioning the historical stories of these centuries-old trees.

Protected Natural Heritage

It is emphasized that monumental trees, which can act as a bridge between the past and the present, have a special place in the history, mystical culture and folklore of the region. It is stated that these monumental trees, which are classified as natural assets, should be protected by taking all kinds of precautions due to their characteristics and should be passed on to future generations as a natural heritage.

Respect for Natural Works

Monumental trees are defined as indisputable assets that connect the past to the future thanks to their magnificent appearance and long life. The protection of these trees not only strengthens the sense of loyalty to the family in young individuals, but also contributes to the development of love of nature and environmental awareness.

66 Types of Trees

Within the scope of the project, there are a total of 66 tree species from all over Anatolia that have witnessed thousands of years of history. Among these species; cedar, chestnut, oriental plane tree, olive, oath, Taurus cedar, walnut, mastic tree, false date palm, terebinth, mammoth, pine, oak, hackberry, yew, poplar, pistachio, hornbeam, cypress, pear, palm, beech and linden are among many varieties of trees.

Turkey’s Oldest Trees

The oldest tree in Turkey is a new tree located in the Alaplı district of Zonguldak, whose age as of 2024 is calculated as 4,119 years. This tree stands out with its crown diameter of 9.5 meters, trunk diameter of 245 centimeters and height of 23 meters. The age of this yew tree, which dates back to the Bronze Age, was determined by laboratory examinations of annual rings conducted at the Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Forestry. The examinations indicated that the tree is healthy and can live for at least another 4,000 years as long as it is not damaged by humans.

Trees That Are Over Two Thousand Years Old

There are four monumental trees on the list that are over 2,000 years old. These are:

• 2,331-year-old cedar barn tar in Kumluca district of Antalya (height: 25 meters, trunk diameter: 262 centimeters)
• 2,284-year-old Oriental plane tree in Kahramanmaraş Onikişubat district
• 2,001-year-old fragrant juniper in Konya Tashkent
• 2,001-year-old Oriental plane tree in Samandağ, Hatay

Tallest Tree

The highest monumental tree in Turkey is the 405-year-old Fir tree in the Torul district of Gümüşhane. The height of this tree has been measured as 55 meters. In addition, the 430 and 555-year-old Oriental plane trees in Adıyaman Center and Gölbaşı, the 535-year-old Oriental plane tree in Amasya Center and the 905-year-old Oriental plane tree in Kütahya Simav are also 40 meters high .

Widest Body

Among the monumental trees with large trunks, there is the 805-year-old Oriental plane tree in Bozkurt district of Kastamonu, which has a trunk diameter of 880 centimeters. In second place is the 430-year-old Oriental plane tree in Gölbaşı, Adıyaman (trunk diameter of 860 centimeters). In addition, the 2,284-year-old Oriental plane tree in Onikişubat, Kahramanmaraş is in third place with a trunk diameter of 760 centimeters, the 2,005-year-old Oriental plane tree in Samandağ, Hatay is in fourth place with 750 centimeters, and the 505-year-old Pulley Oak in Aksaray Center is in fifth place with 608 centimeters.

Trees Over a Thousand Years Old

There are a total of 22 monumental trees on the list that are over 1,000 years old. Some of these trees and their ages are as follows: