Belgrade Forest ( tour: Belgrad Ormanı ) is a mixed deciduous forest 20 km from Istanbul on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. The area of the Belgrade forest is 5442 hectares [1] . Geographically, the forest is located at the easternmost point of the Thracian Peninsula . Forest area is divided between Saryer and Eyup regions. Since the middle of the 20th century, the Belgrade Forest has gained popularity as a place of rural recreation among the inhabitants of Istanbul. The main entrance to the forest park is located near the village of Bakhchekoy. A famous picnic spot in the Belgrade forest is the Buyuk-Bent reservoir, dating back to the early Byzantine era. Catering enterprises are located on the dam of the reservoir [2] .
| Belgrade Forest | |
|---|---|
| tour. Belgrad Ormanı | |
 One of the many paths in the Belgrade forest | |
| Specifications | |
| Square | 54.42 km² |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Il | Istanbul |
The Belgrade Forest was named after the thousands of Serb prisoners of war who Suleiman the Magnificent resettled in Istanbul after the siege of Belgrade in 1521. There are several historical reservoirs and sources in the Belgrade Forest. The Serbs maintained the reservoirs in good condition, replenished from numerous sources in the forest (Hunkar, Kestan, Chirchir) [3] . Belgrade Forest was an important source of water for Istanbul's Valenta Aqueduct .
According to the records, in 1826, after the suppression of the Janissaries' uprising, they gathered in the Belgrade Forest; actions against them in the forest were ineffective. After three months of persecution, it was decided to set fire to the forest in order to drive the rebels into a dead end. Thus, a significant amount of forest was burned. [four]
In the Belgrade forest, 71 species of birds and 18 species of mammals live. The most common tree in the forest is rocky oak ( Quercus petraea ), but hornbeam, oriental birch and Anatolian chestnut are also found. Belgrade forest is protected by the state. Hunting in the Belgrade forest is prohibited. The construction of the western part of the highway passing through the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge (opened in 2016), which passes through the northern part of the forest, the expansion of Istanbul ( Maslak , etc.), the settlements that surround the forest, and new roads cast doubt on practical effect of nature conservation in the forest. [five]
In 2018, Turkish police said that Jamal Khashoggi was killed and abandoned in this forest. [6] [7]
Notes
- ↑ Ömer Eker: An economic analysis of multiple use of forests: Belgrade Forest example. In: J. Appl. Sci. Res. 3 (11): 1472-1475, 2007.
- ↑ Alexey Borzenko, Andrey Borzenko. Istanbul. - Around the World, 2017 .-- S. 269.
- ↑ Peter Daners, Volker Ohl. Der Belgrader Wald und Kylios // = Direkt Istanbul. - Ostfildern: DuMont Reiseverlag, 2012 .-- S. 82. - 120 p.
- ↑ Mehmet Barlas. Dünü bilerek bugünü yaşamak neyi değiştirir ki? (September 29, 2011). Date of treatment March 14, 2015. Archived September 29, 2011.
- ↑ My Merhaba “Belgrade Forest” (unavailable link) . Archived February 23, 2009.
- ↑ Search for Khashoggi's remains focuses on consul general's house
- ↑ Jamal Khashoggi case: Turkish police search forest