Turkey’s oldest tree living since Bronze Age

ANTALYA - Demirören News Agency

The oldest tree alive in Turkey has been around since the Bronze Age and is sturdy enough to live for another four millennia, the Environment and Urbanization Ministry has said.

The tree is a yew tree and is 4,115 years old, standing strong in the northern province of Zonguldak, the ministry said on its website on Oct. 30.

“The age of the oldest tree has been detected by experts in the Karadeniz Technical University. It is 23 meters high,” added the ministry.

There are 9,369 monumental trees registered in Turkey.

According to data on the anitlaragac.gov.tr, the highest tree, an abies, is in the Black Sea province of Gümüşhane with a height of 55 meters, while the widest tree, an Oriental plane, is in the northern province of Kastamonu with a diameter of 8.8 meters.

According to the website, there are four trees older than 2,000 years and 22 trees with an age above a millennium.

The second oldest tree, a cedrus libani, which is 2,327 years old, is in the Kumluca district of the southern province of Antalya. An Oriental plane in the eastern province of Kahramanmaraş is the third oldest tree with an age of 2,280 years. A juniper in the Central Anatolian province of Konya and an Oriental plane in the Aegean province of Kütahya follow the list with 2,001 years of age.

The highest tree of Turkey, an abies in Gümüşhane, is 401 years old, according to the list. Two Oriental planes in the southeastern province of Adıyaman and an Oriental plane in the Black Sea province of Amasya, are the second highest trees with a height of 40 meters.

“The widest tree, with an 8.8-meter diameter in Kastamonu province, is 801 years old. A 426-year-old Oriental plane in Adıyaman follows it with a diameter of 8.6 meters. An Oriental plane in Kahramanmaraş is the third with a diameter of 7.6 meters,” it said.

The ministry has published the stories of 297 monumental trees on the website and has said that there are around 50 types of monumental trees in the country.

“Oriental planes, arceuthos drupaceas, cedrus libanis, walnut trees, gumwoods, Canary Island date palms, turpentine trees, northern hackberries, pines and oaks are common in the list of the monumental trees,” said the ministry.

“These trees are natural beauties that are bridges from the past to the future. Protecting these trees improves the bond to the roots in the youth and the love for the nature. It is very important to detect these monumental trees and keep them registered,” the ministry added.

According to the website, these trees are accepted as “natural assets,” therefore are protected by law.