Turkey's first corn maze opened in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s first corn maze, established in the Şile district of Istanbul within the scope of a tourism innovation project supported by the Agriculture Ministry and the Union of Agricultural Chambers and the Association of Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), has been opened to public visit.

Aiming to increase the love of land and agriculture in the younger generations, “Corn Maze Istanbul” has been established on 40 percent of a 100,000-squaremeter land. Besides the corn maze, the compound consists of trekking and equestrian sites, playgrounds for children and lands of strawberries, sunflowers and pumpkins.

Corn maze is the name of a maze cut out of a cornfield. Dating back to 1980, corn mazes have been popular tourist destinations across the globe.

“We were bored at home all through the pandemic. We missed the nature so much,” Sami İşleker, the founder of the project, told Demirören News Agency at the opening ceremony on Aug. 30.

“This land was unused for three decades. We converted it into a farmland and an entertainment site for visitors,” he added.

Children toured the corn maze, walked through the sunflower lands and played games in farming zones.

According to İşleker, a corn maze in Canada they visited was the inspiration of “Corn Maze Istanbul.”

“We have two paths in the maze, a short and a long one. Besides, there is also a tunnel of horror inside the maze, in which visitors can tour only at evenings,” he added.

Saying that the compound will be opened until November, İşleker made a call to all parents to bring their children to Şile.

“It is time to grow and get the harvest. So, we have only two months. So, bring your children. They will spend quality time in nature, play games and learn farming here.”

Irmak Çakır, a nine-year-old girl was happy to be in the maze. “We put on our masks, entered the maze and tried to find the gifts hidden for us,” she said.

“I had never seen a corn land before,” another child said, adding that he is “happy to be there.”

Hülya Doğan, a 43-year-old woman who came to the site with her son, gave an advice to all parents.

“Take your kids out of shopping malls and bring them here to nature,” she said.

Corn mazes across the globe appear in many different designs. Some are based on artistic ones such as movie characters.

As of 2014, the Guinness World Record announced that the largest corn maze was 60 acres, created by Cool Patch Pumpkins, in California, the U.S.

The entrance fees for “Corn Maze Istanbul” differ from 50 to 139 Turkish Liras ($6 to $17), based on the activities.