Audio GuideAtaturk Arboretum

In the northern part of Istanbul, where the city’s energy gives way to tranquil greenery, you’ll find Atatürk Arboretumu. This remarkable living collection was first conceived in the late nineteen-forties by Hayrettin Kayacık, an enthusiastic professor of forestry. He dreamed of creating an expansive green sanctuary for scientists, nature enthusiasts, and anyone wishing to relax among trees and lakes.

Yulia Mısırlı

As time went on, the Faculty of Forestry at Istanbul University, together with the country’s General Directorate of Forestry, set about making this vision a reality. In the early nineteen-sixties, Camille Guinet, a specialist from Paris, was invited to carefully design the network of winding paths and avenues that now lead visitors through a remarkable variety of foliage and shade.

Meysam Tabrizi

Progress was gradual, hindered by a lack of funds, but the goal was never abandoned. In the early nineteen-eighties, Atatürk Arboretumu was finally opened to the public, named in tribute to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, to mark what would have been his hundredth birthday.

Mazhar Kuştepe

Today, the arboretum spans close to three hundred hectares, and is home to more than two thousand different plant species—some rare, all clearly labelled. Peaceful paths weave past still waters populated by swans, ducks and turtles, while birdsong and the gentle rustling of leaves set the tranquil atmosphere.

A walk here reveals a rich blend of nature and heritage; visitors encounter a dam dating from the early nineteenth century, educational pavilions, observation towers, and research facilities. The arboretum acts as both a centre for scientific study and a welcome escape for Istanbul’s residents, attracting students, families and travellers alike. Atatürk Arboretumu remains a living sanctuary where nature and culture exist side by side—a legacy that, for more than seventy years, has been an integral part of life in Istanbul.