Mehmet Akif Ersoy Nature Park, Nature park and nature reserve in Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
Mehmet Akif Ersoy Nature Park is a nature park and nature reserve in Sarıyer, Istanbul, set within the Belgrade Forest area along the Ayazağa Deresi stream. The grounds are mostly oak woodland with walking paths, picnic tables, benches, a small nature museum, and an old doorkeeper's house.
The land was part of the broader Belgrade Forest, used for centuries as a source of timber and water for Istanbul. A section of this forest was later set aside as a protected area and named after the Turkish poet and national figure Mehmet Akif Ersoy.
Families, walkers, and bird watchers all share the same paths at different hours of the day. The trails through the oak trees have become a regular weekend gathering spot for people from the surrounding neighborhood.
The paths through the park are flat and easy to walk, making them accessible for most visitors without special preparation. Coming in the morning is a good idea, as it tends to be cooler and wildlife is more active at that hour.
The park shelters two species found in very few places in Turkey: the Yalanci Apollo butterfly and the Karadeniz Köstebeği. Both are threatened with disappearing, which gives this patch of Istanbul forest an importance that is easy to miss on a casual walk.
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