Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park | |
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Dilek Yarımadası-Büyük Menderes Deltası Millî Parkı | |
Ministry of Forest and Water Management | |
Website | dilekyarimadasi |
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (
The park is among the most
It is separated from the Greek island of
History
For most of the area's existence, the lands from the Dilek Peninsula southwards to the end of the
Events
In early 2005, a severely wounded Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was found within the Büyük Menderes Delta. It was treated immediately, but due to complications died shortly afterwards. The Mediterranean monk seal is critically endangered, with only about 600 remaining in the world, and over 100 of which are within the maritime borders of Turkey.[9]
Controversy surrounded the park in April 2010 after the chairman of the Aydın Beekeepers Association, Kadir Kılıç, claimed that
Geography
The national park is 27,598 ha (68,200 acres) in total land area, with the peninsula itself having an area of about 110 km2 (42 sq mi), with a width of around 6 km (3.7 mi) from north to south and a length of 20 km (12 mi) east to west.[11][12] It is located approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) from Davutlar,[11] about 26 km (16 mi) from the district's seat of Kuşadası (estimates range from 23-30 kilometres),[13] and is directly adjacent to the town of Güzelçamlı.[14] Other nearby cities in Aydın Province have access roads to the park, including Aydın, Söke and, to a lesser extent, Didim.[7]
The Mycale Strait separates the peninsula from the nearby island of Samos. Named after Mount Mycale, the strait is only about 1.6 km (0.99 mi) wide at its narrowest point, making it one of the Aegean Sea's smallest straits.[5]
Popular features
The mountainous terrain of the peninsula and its numerous
Cave of Zeus
Immediately upon entry into the national park, a fork in the main path begins a trail running through the inner peninsula leading to a local cavern known as the Cave of Zeus (Turkish: Zeus Mağarası). The entrance is dense in vegetation, covering parts of it. There is also a wishing tree to which people usually tie objects and belongings, hoping for their wishes to be granted. The Cave of Zeus is filled with clear subterranean spring water, making it another common tourist attraction near the national park. Visits to the cave typically increase as the waters of the nearby beaches become rougher, thereby making them less inviting. The cave's name invokes the many legends that concern the cave and its origins, including one holding that Zeus bathed in the cave.[19][20]
Büyük Menderes Delta
The wide mouth of the Büyük Menderes River (English: Great Meander) empties at the Aegean Sea, with an area of 16,613 ha (41,050 acres); larger than the entire Dilek Peninsula directly to the north, at only 10,985 ha (27,140 acres).
Climate
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park has a
Geology
The terrain of the peninsula has much to do with the
The peninsula is highly mountainous, with most of its mountains having elevations close to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above mean sea level. Its highest mountain, Mount Mycale, is approximately 1,237 m (4,058 ft) high.[24]
Biology
The national park is quite diverse in its wildlife and vegetation, hosting approximately 804 distinct species of plants, 256 bird species, and an otherwise considerable variety of mammals, reptiles, and marine life. The entirety of the national park, including both Dilek Peninsula National Park and Büyük Menderes Delta National Park, is currently protected under the Ramsar Convention, the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Barcelona Convention.[3][4]
Flora
The park has a large diversity of vegetation. Due to the temperature and climate differences between different areas and elevations of the park, not only is the typical Aegean flora present, but also many specimens normally only found in separate coastal areas of Turkey, such as in the Mediterranean, Marmara, and Black Sea regions.[7]
Out of the 804 species of flora distributed throughout the park, six are
Fauna
In total, 28 species of mammals, 42 species of reptiles, and 45 fish species have been documented within the park.[3] Several
Along the southern shores of the peninsula, and within the river delta, exists a range of bird and marine life. Many of these species are endangered, which was one of the primary factors considered when placing the delta under national protection. Some of the more common bird species observed here include pygmy cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni), Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus), white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), and the Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus), for which the park is a key nesting place. Marine life consists of species typical of the Aegean Sea, as well as some species usually found elsewhere.[3][7]
The biodiversity of local oceanic fauna is not well understood. Sea turtles and mammals, including monk seals, fin whales (only 1 sighting and 5 strandings have been documented in Turkish waters),[29][30] and dolphins are considered to reside in the park area, although regularity of occurrences are unclear.[3][31][32]
Activities
Nature photography is a common activity in the park due to the large variety of flora and fauna, as well as landscape photography due to the mountainous terrain and views. There are several forest trails and high-elevation ventures used by hikers and mountaineers respectively. There are numerous other activities available for visitors, as well as some prohibited activities. For example, although recreational fishing is allowed, there are severe consequences for anyone found hunting within the jurisdiction of the park.[7][17][33]
Tourism
The park is the most visited during the spring and summer months, when it is open between 8:00 and 19:00 (7:00 pm) local time. In autumn and winter, it closes at 17:00 (5:00 pm). Admission must be paid at the entrance. Camping, lighting fires, or setting up overnight shelters are strictly forbidden within the limits of the national park in order to protect the surrounding ecosystem.
See also
- Büyük Menderes River
- Mycale
- Mycale Strait
- List of national parks of Turkey
- List of peninsulas of Turkey
- List of rivers of Turkey
References
- ^ a b "Dilek Yarımadası - Büyük Menderes Deltası Milli Parkı". Doğa Koruma ve Milli Parklar Genel Müdürlüğü (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Kuşadası-Güzelçamlı arası feribot seferleri başladı". Radikal (in Turkish). 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Milli Park". Ekodosd (in Turkish). Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Dilek Yarımadası Milli Parkı". T.C Kuşadası Kaymakamlığı (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ a b "General Information". Samos Island. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Mycale (479 BCE)". Livius. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dilek Peninsula (Kusadasi) National Park". National Parks of Turkey. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "History of Kusadasi". Kusadasi.net. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Seals return to Kuşadası after 45-year-absence". Hürriyet Daily News. 2005-02-26. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
- ^ "Turkish beekepers to be kept out of national park". Hürriyet Daily News. 2010-04-29. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-07-09.
- ^ a b c "Dilek Peninsula National Park, Guzelcamli – Kusadasi". Kusadasi.biz. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ a b "Dilek Peninsula National Park". Turkey from the Inside. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Introducing Dilek Peninsula". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Dilek Peninsula National Park Kusadasi". Travel Selcuk. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Discover Dilek National Park". Didim Voices. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Dilek Peninsula National Park". Alaturka.info. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Dilek National Park". Jimmy's Place. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "8 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Kusadasi". PlanetWare. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Cave of Zeus". Daily Ephesus Tours. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Cave of Zeus Kusadasi". Very Turkey. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Dilek Peninsula - Delta of Great Menderes National Park". Go Turkey Tourism. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ Seal, Jeremy (2013-03-22). "Turkey: exploring the ancient Meander river delta". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "Southeastern Europe: Along the coastline of Greece and Turkey, stretching into Macedonia". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ a b c Efe, Recep. "A Comparative Study on the Biogeography of Protected and Degraded Habitats in Dilek Peninsula - Turkey" (PDF). academia.edu. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Dilek Yarımadası-Büyük Menderes Deltası Milli Parkı". Kuşadası Belediyesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Turkey - Geology". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ Douwe J.J. van Hinsbergen (11 November 2009). "A key extensional metamorphic complex reviewed and restored: The Menderes Massif of western Turkey" (PDF). Universiteit Utrecht. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ "Geology of the Menderes Massif and the Lycian Nappes South of Denizli, Western Taurides" (PDF). MTA Genel Müdürlüğü. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- ^ "Fifth stranding record of the Fin Whale in Turkey". Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
- .
- ^ Alakavuk E., Şengün B., 2009, The Dilek Peninsula: Büyük Menderes Delta, Natural Heritage from East to West, pp.315-319, Case studies from 6 EU countries. Edited by Evelpidou, N., deFigueiredo, T., Mauro, F., Tecim, V., Vassilopoulos, A., 2010, Springer.
- ^ Yunus - WWF Turkey
- ^ IUCN/UNEP (1989). Directory of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas in the Mediterranean Region (PDF) (Report). MAP Technical Reports Series No. 26. Vol. 1. Athens: UNEP. p. 155–158 [157]. Retrieved 15 March 2016.