Irmak Nature Park, Nature park and reserve in Bahçeköy Kemer Mahallesi, Turkey
Irmak Nature Park is a nature park and reserve in Bahçeköy Kemer Mahallesi, a neighborhood in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul. The park sits within the Belgrade Forest, facing the Kirazlıbent nature area, and a small stream runs through it.
The park was officially declared a protected area in 2011 by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Before that, the land was already part of the broader Belgrade Forest, which has served as a water supply area for Istanbul since Ottoman times.
The park is open to cars and charges an entrance fee at the gate. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes, as the trails wind through forest and along the stream.
The park shelters stands of kasnak oak, a tree species native to Turkey that is listed as vulnerable in the wild. Arriving early in the morning gives the best chance of spotting woodpeckers, foxes, and roe deer before other visitors arrive.
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