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Botanical Parks in Türkiye

Botanical Parks in Türkiye

Yazar: admin | Tarih: 25 Nisan 2026

Botanical Parks in Türkiye:

In Türkiye, there are 4 botanical gardens that are members of the International Organization for the Protection of Botanical Gardens, and a total of 9 botanical gardens that meet specific botanical garden standards. So, what is a botanical park (garden)? In general, the main purpose of botanical gardens is to create rich collections by identifying the native habitats of plants and their scientific and popular names.

Alfred Heilbronn Botanical Garden, Istanbul University, Istanbul

Opened in 1935, the Alfred Heilbronn Botanical Garden of Istanbul University is Türkiye's oldest botanical garden. With its greenhouses containing tropical plants and its open-air walking area, it's a captivating place. It's possible to see examples of plants and trees from many regions of the world and Turkey, including snowdrops, Thracian tulips, coffee trees, vanilla, carnivores, banana trees, and avocados.

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden, Istanbul

Established in 1995 as a memorial park in honor of Ali Nihat Gökyiğit and his wife Nezahat Gökyiğit, the garden has now been transformed into a botanical garden home to many plant species. Structured in seven sections, each corner of the garden is designed for a different purpose.

Ataturk Arboretum, Istanbul

The Atatürk Arboretum, whose construction was started in 1949 by the Istanbul University Faculty of Forestry, was opened in 1961. Within the arboretum is a nursery, known in those years as Turkey's first nursery. In 1981, its name was changed to "Atatürk Arboretum" to commemorate Atatürk's 100th birthday. This open-air museum consists of endemic plant species, endangered tree species, and plant and tree species from different climates that were brought from abroad and cultivated.

Ege University Botanical Garden, Herbarium Application and Research Center, İzmir

The Botanical Garden and Herbarium Center was established in 1970 as part of the Faculty of Science at the university. In addition to research and teaching services, it aims to introduce and popularize natural and cultivated plants to the public. The Center, which houses research, teaching, and ornamental plant greenhouses, introduces tropical, xerophytic, and exotic plants to the public and students. The Ege University Botanical Garden contains approximately 3,000 plant species. These plants are of Turkish and foreign origin, and seed exchange is carried out with foreign botanical gardens to enrich the collection and use them in research. The greenhouses, covering a total area of 1,300 square meters, consist of 13 greenhouses of varying sizes. One is a tropical greenhouse, one a cactus greenhouse, one a cold greenhouse, and the remaining sections house ornamental plants and research greenhouses. This section also displays 250 tropical tree, shrub, and ornamental plant taxa, as well as approximately 200 cactus species.

Karaca Arboretum, Yalova

The Karaca Arboretum was established by Hayrettin Karaca on 13.5 hectares of land. Today, it houses approximately 7000 different plant species, subspecies, varieties, and cultivated forms. The Karaca Arboretum is Türkiye's first private arboretum. Its remarkable collections include many important species and cultivated forms belonging to the genera Acer, Prunus, Malas, Magnolia, Quercus, Betula, Pinus, and Picea.

Çukurova University Botanical Garden, Adana

Established on a 200-acre area within the Çukurova University (ÇÜ) Research and Application Center in Adana, the Botanical Garden, home to Türkiye's richest collection of endemic plant species, awaits those wishing to explore nature. Its garden includes sub-gardens such as those dedicated to rock gardens, medicinal and aromatic plants, palm trees, and a Natural Mediterranean Valley.

Gaziantep Botanical Garden, Gaziantep

Established in 2009 by the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, the botanical park aims to create and develop a living collection of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants found in the flora of Gaziantep, Turkey, and the world. It houses a total of 10 different gardens, including an educational garden that serves as a classroom for students.

Suleyman Demirel University Botanical Garden, Isparta:

Established in 1988, the botanical park aims to cultivate all kinds of plants, especially those from the Lake District, and to promote interdisciplinary scientific activities.