Rooted in streets, groves and mosque courtyards across Istanbul, the city’s monumental trees have stood for centuries not only because of their age and grandeur, but also as living witnesses to historical events stretching from Byzantium to the Ottoman era and from the founding of the Republic to the present day.
As part of a project led by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, maintenance and conservation work are being carried out to ensure the long-term survival of these unique trees. In Istanbul and many other provinces where the work has been completed, trees long known to local communities and closely tied to collective memory stand out. Beyond their size or age, these trees have become symbols through the events that unfolded around them, leaving deep traces in public consciousness.
The education and research forest of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa’s Faculty of Forestry is home to some of the most remarkable examples of this living heritage. Among the four protected monumental trees within the faculty’s boundaries is Türkiye’s oldest known plane tree. With a diameter of nearly five meters and an estimated age approaching 1,400 years, it has borne witness to Istanbul’s transformation for over a millennium.
Also located in the same forest is the so-called Octopus Plane Tree, named for its trunk structure resembling an octopus. Estimated to be around 580 years old, it stands out for both its striking appearance and historical depth. A double-trunked London plane tree believed to be 800 years old, along with another plane tree over 300 years old, are also under protection in the area.
In the courtyard of Eyüp Sultan Mosque stands a plane tree believed to have been planted during the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, revered for its mystical and historical associations. Near Gülhane Park, the monumental tree known as the Taşlı Plane Tree is remembered as a natural symbol of state power and continuity, having witnessed major urban development works.
The monumental plane tree in the courtyard of Beyazıt Mosque is among the city’s most striking symbols, not only because of its extraordinary size but also because it bore witness to executions from the Ottoman period into the modern era. In Florya Atatürk Forest, a mastic tree whose trunk features a formation resembling a human face has become etched into popular memory as one of Istanbul’s most unusual monumental trees.
On the Asian side, the Ata Stone Pine in Küçük Çamlıca Grove, believed to be as old as the grove itself, stands as one of the area’s oldest monumental trees. In Çamlıca Bulgurlu, a majestic plane tree that inspired songs and poems has given its name to the neighborhood and occupies a strong place in social memory. In Beykoz Meadow, plane trees dating back to the reign of Sultan Mehmed II continue to stand as natural witnesses from the Ottoman era to the present.
In Çengelköy, a symbolic tree known locally as the Killer Plane Tree gained its name after a tragic accident, yet it remains one of the neighborhood’s oldest witnesses alongside the historic fountain and mosque nearby.
Project largely completed in western regions
Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Forestry academic Serhun Sağlam said monumental trees are distinguished by exceptional features that set them apart from others of their species, including advanced age and unusually large diameter and height.
Sağlam said the project to identify and protect monumental trees began in the early 2000s, initially focusing on urban areas before expanding nationwide. He noted that under the ministry’s current initiative, monumental trees across Türkiye are being identified, maintained, repaired and officially registered to ensure they remain standing for generations to come. While work continues in the country’s southeast and southern regions, most western regions and Istanbul have already completed the project.
Emphasizing the importance of protecting the Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa forest, Sağlam said it is home not only to monumental trees but also to diverse wildlife. Describing the Octopus Plane Tree as one of the most magnificent trees in the country, he said its form resembles several giant fingers rising from the ground, giving it an octopus-like appearance. Estimated to be 580 years old, the tree has stood since the era of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, rising more than 40 meters with a diameter exceeding three meters.
Among the four monumental trees in the forest is the plane tree holding Türkiye’s age record, with a diameter close to five meters and an estimated age of nearly 1,400 years. An 800-year-old double-trunked London plane tree and another healthy plane tree around 300 years old are also protected in the same area.
Symbols of state power and social memory
Professor Ünal Asan said Florya Atatürk Forest contains numerous monumental mastic trees, including one whose trunk once displayed a clearly defined human face-like formation. He also recounted the story of the Taşlı Plane Tree near Gülhane, explaining that a stone was once placed beside it during early urban redevelopment works as a marker for future generations to understand the scale of change.
Asan highlighted the historical significance of the Beyazıt Plane Tree, noting that until the 1960s and 1970s, criminals sentenced to death were executed there. He also shared the legendary account of the plane tree in the courtyard of Eyüp Sultan Mosque, believed to have been planted during the conquest of Istanbul and associated with the discovery of the tomb of Eyyub al-Ansari.
Asan added that the so-called Killer Plane Tree in Çengelköy earned its name after a falling branch caused a fatal accident, noting that while claims about its exact age may be debated, it is certainly older than the nearby mosque and remains one of the district’s most enduring witnesses.
