Muğla, May 30 – Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, shared images of an 854-year-old plane tree in the Yatağan district of Muğla on his social media account. The tree has been registered and taken under protection by the Ministry, highlighting its historical and natural significance.
A Witness to History: The 854-Year-Old Plane Tree
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, through its General Directorate of Nature Conservation (TVK), is actively preserving 10,509 registered monumental trees across Turkey, providing regular maintenance and rehabilitation. Minister Murat Kurum specifically highlighted the 854-year-old plane tree in Yatağan, Muğla, emphasizing its deep roots in history and its role as a living witness to time and a natural heritage.
In his social media message, Minister Kurum stated, “This is not just a plane tree; it is a monumental tree whose roots extend from the past to the present, a witness to time, and a legacy of nature. We protect the trusts of our nature like the apple of our eye.”
Historical Significance: Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent’s Encampment
Located in the Bozüyük Town of Yatağan, this remarkable plane tree is 854 years old. It was registered in 1996 by the decision of the abolished Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets. Standing at 30 meters tall, with a canopy diameter of 35 meters and a trunk diameter of 600 centimeters, the tree has witnessed centuries of history.
Professor Dr. Bilal Söğüt, a faculty member of the Archaeology Department at Pamukkale University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, noted that plane trees symbolize settlement in Turkish culture. Regarding the Bozüyük tree, Prof. Dr. Söğüt provided fascinating historical details:
“Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, when he set out for the Rhodes Campaign on June 15, 1522, established his encampment under this monumental tree with his army on July 23, 1522. If you were passing through here on horseback, this would have been your resting place. For example, Evliya Çelebi also passed through here. From where we are now, next to this plane tree, he even drank water from here and continued towards Milas. Because this was one of the important routes of that period.”
Prof. Dr. Söğüt also underscored the professional efforts undertaken by the Ministry to ensure that these monumental trees, now under protection, will stand for many more years with meticulous care.
Conservation Efforts and Future Plans
Çağlar Alsancak, Head of Natural Protected Areas and Natural Assets at the General Directorate of Nature Conservation, stated that registered trees are protected along with their surrounding environment. He explained, “Our trees may need care due to disaster effects, meteorological effects, and human interventions. We carry out all kinds of maintenance, pruning, spraying, and interventions against insects and pests for these trees. We restrict all kinds of interventions around the trees and their protected areas. For any intervention to be made, we require permission from the relevant Regional Commissions for the Protection of Natural Assets.”
The Ministry’s commitment ensures that these invaluable natural assets are preserved for future generations, maintaining both their ecological health and historical integrity.
