Monumental trees shed light on country’s natural heritage

ANTALYA

A website created as part of the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry’s initiative to raise awareness of Türkiye’s registered monumental trees displays 883 such trees across the country, serving as a bridge connecting the past, present and future.

Covering a total of 66 different tree species, ranging from linden to wild pears, from all over Anatolia that have lived for thousands of years, the website offers historical accounts of centuries-old trees, along with information on the province, district, age, height and trunk and crown diameter of the trees.

A 4,119-year-old yew tree in the northern province of Zonguldak, dating back to the Bronze Age, is recorded as the oldest tree in Türkiye and ranks among the five oldest trees worldwide. Research indicates it has at least another 4,000 years of life span, provided that humans do not cause any damage or harm.

While the tallest tree in Türkiye is a 55-meter-tall fir located in Gümüşhane, the Old World sycamore with the largest trunk diameter, at 880 centimeters, can be found in the northern province of Kastamonu.

Among the trees on the list, four are over two millennia old. The second-oldest is a 2,331-year-old Lebanese cedar in the southern province of Antalya, standing 25 meters tall with a trunk diameter of 262 centimeters.

It is stressed that monumental trees, which the regulations classify as natural assets, must be safeguarded using various measures because of their unique qualities to be preserved for future generations as part of nature's legacy.