The 854-year-old historic plane tree in Yatağan has become the center of attention following Minister Kurum’s post

The 854-year-old historic plane tree in the Bozüyük neighborhood of Yatağan district in Muğla has stood for centuries, bearing witness to history. Interest in the tree has increased significantly following a social media post by Murat Kurum, the Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.

'A Witness to Time, a Legacy of Nature'

Minister Kurum, who shared images and the story of the monumental plane tree at the Pınarbaşı facilities in the Bozüyük neighborhood, emphasized that the tree is more than just a tree, describing it as “a witness to time, a legacy of nature, with roots stretching from the past to the present.”

30 meters tall, 6 meters in trunk diameter

The tree, which is 30 meters tall, has a crown diameter of 35 meters and a trunk diameter of 6 meters, was registered in 1996 by a decision of the now-defunct İzmir No. 2 Regional Council for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets and is currently protected under monument tree status.

Orthopedic intervention in 2011

In 2011, the tree—whose trunk had begun to split in two and rot—was placed under treatment. Prof. Dr. İlçin Aslanboğa and her team from the Department of Landscape Architecture at Ege University’s Faculty of Agriculture prevented the branches from breaking by reinforcing the trunk and branches with metal rods—a method applied for the first time in Turkey.

The Legend of Suleiman the Magnificent’s Campaign Against Rhodes

Baki Gencel, President of the Bozüyük Güzelköy Promotion, Tourism, and Development Association, noted that it is generally accepted that the tree was planted during the Seljuk period, stating, “Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Emperor of the World, camped in the shade of this plane tree and set up his tent here on July 23, 1522, during his Rhodes Campaign,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Bilal Söğüt, Director of Excavations at the ancient cities of Stratonikeia and Lagina, noted that the region has been significant throughout history, adding, “After our minister’s post, the number of viewers exceeded one million. As a result, it has become a major center of interest.”

The inn, mosque, and bridge where soldiers once stayed in the region have been restored by the Muğla Governor’s Office.

The photo is for illustrative purposes only.