| Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park | |
|---|---|
| Dilek Yarımadası-Büyük Menderes Deltası Millî Parkı | |
 An outlook from a trail | |
  The location of the park within Turkey | |
| Location | Kuşadası,Aydın Province,Turkey |
| Nearest city | Güzelçamlı,Turkey |
| Coordinates | 37°40′08.14″N27°09′42.32″E / 37.6689278°N 27.1617556°E /37.6689278; 27.1617556 |
| Area | 27,598 ha (68,200 acres) |
| Established | May 19, 1966 (1966-05-19) |
| Governing body | Ministry of Forest and Water Management |
| Website | dilekyarimadasi |
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (Turkish:Dilek Yarımadası-Büyük Menderes Deltası Millî Parkı), established on May 19, 1966, is anational park in westernTurkey. It contains within its borders the entirety of theDilek Peninsula as well as the largedelta of theBüyük Menderes River. The park is located in theKuşadası district ofAydın Province — part of Turkey'sAegean Region. Directly west of the national park is the small coastal town ofGüzelçamlı, where severalshuttle buses andferries operate to and from the district's center of Kuşadası, approximately 30 km (19 mi) from the park.[1][2]
The park is among the mostbiologically diverse ofTurkey's national parks. It is the native and migratoryhabitat of hundreds of species ofbirds,mammals, plants, and marine life, some of which are entirely endemic to the park and cannot be observed anywhere else in the world.[3] For these reasons, it is protected by numerous wildlife and wetland conventions, and is of great national and international importance in these areas.[4]
It is separated from the Greek island ofSamos (Greek:Σάμoς) by a very narrowstrait, known as theMycale Strait (Greek:Στενό της Μυκάλης). The strait is named afterMount Mycale, the highest and most prominent mountain of thepeninsula, and is one of the narrowest straits in theAegean Sea.[5]
For most of the area's existence, the lands from the Dilek Peninsula southwards to the end of theBüyük Menderes River's largedelta were uninhabited by people or very sparsely settled, and were otherwise untouched by human influence. As a result of this isolation, the area was considerably populated with numerous species of plants and wildlife, most of which still remain within the park today. Eventually, underAncient Greek and especiallyIonian influence, several settlements nearMount Mycale and the Büyük Menderes Delta were built, such asPriene andMiletus.[6] Nearby,Panionium was erected as the meeting place of theIonian League.[citation needed] During modern times, and despite a significant increase in population and density in areas near the port town of Kuşadası, it was not until May 19, 1966 that the TurkishMinistry of Forest and Water Management declared Dilek Peninsula a government-protected national park. Several decades later, in 1994, theBüyük Menderes river delta adjacent to thepeninsula in the south was also promoted to national park status.[1][7][8]
In early 2005, a severely woundedMediterranean 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 ofTurkey.[9]
Controversy surrounded the park in April 2010 after the chairman of the Aydın Beekeepers Association, Kadir Kılıç, claimed thatbeekeepers would be dispatched at the national park, which had been banned since its establishment in 1966. Debate continued for a short period of time, but the dispute was soon settled, as a representative of the Governor's Office ofAydın publicly asserted the provincial government's position on the matter. They denied the claims and confirmed that beekeepers would not be introduced to the park. Beekeepers are currently not allowed as a means of conserving the abundant flora of the park, many of which rely onbees forpollination.[10]
The national park is 27,598 ha (68,200 acres) in total land area, with thepeninsula 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) fromDavutlar,[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 ofGüzelçamlı.[14] Other nearby cities in Aydın Province have access roads to the park, includingAydın,Söke and, to a lesser extent,Didim.[7]
TheMycale 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 theAegean Sea's smallest straits.[5]
The mountainous terrain of the peninsula and its numerouscaverns,canyons, andvalleys result in the area being of high interest to both visitors and researchers.[15] There are severalcoves along the shore that have been named in order to identify them easily. Upon entering the park from the east, the first and easternmost beach available to the public is known as İçmeler Cove (Turkish:İçmeler Koyu). This cove's waters are shallower than any other in the park, and its beaches are sandy, unlike some of the coves farther out.[16] Therefore, it appears to be more popular amongst tourists than most of the remaining beaches and parts of Kuşadası are visible along the horizon from it. Aydınlık Cove is situated about 5 km (3.1 mi) further to the west,[17] and has pebbly shores and deeper waters. It marks the transition point where the waters of the peninsula's beaches become more challenging. As a result, these beaches tend to attract more experienced swimmers and locals rather than tourists. After passing thejandarma (public safety patrol) checkpoint, a turn onto a road leads to a nearby canyon, immediately to the left. From this point on, there are several trails through the forests of the peninsula. One of them leads to the village ofDoğanbey, and if followed further, leads to the nearby ancientHellenistic port city of Karine. However, this path's final 9 km (5.6 mi) are limited in access, and a permit or an accompanying tour guide is required to proceed. The third cove along the peninsula, Kavaklı Burun Cove, and the final, westernmost cove accessible to the public, Karasu Cove, both provide close views of the island of Samos, and are significantly less visited than the former coves of the peninsula. At the very end of the peninsula appears its tallest mountain, Mycale (Turkish:Dilek Dağı), which looms over Samos and the strait of its namesake.[13][17][18]
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 thatZeus bathed in the cave.[19][20]
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).[21] The Büyük Menderes Delta is one of the most diverse wetlands in Turkey in terms of both vegetation and marine life, and is protected by several wetland agreements such as theRamsar Convention.[3] Itsbiodiversity is derived in part from the fertile lands and fresh waters of the delta, attracting numerous species to the area, including severalmigratory birds. The nearby mountains of the peninsula cause a marked temperature difference between the northern and southern faces of the peninsula, producing a corollary variance in the types of species found in the delta region.[7] The area features a trail for visitors and options forcanoeing andpicnicking.[22]
Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park has aMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsa), and as such, it is dry and mild throughout most of the year, except during the winters, when most of the yearlyprecipitation occurs. The average temperature year-round is about 18 °C (64 °F), ranging from average lows of 8 °C (46 °F) in the winter to highs of around 27 °C (81 °F) in the summer. However, on the mountaintops, as altitude increases, temperatures are usually much lower, with the annual mean temperature usually being no higher than 13 °C (55 °F). There are additional precipitation differences depending on elevation, and also between the north and south sides of the peninsula. Such precipitation amounts range from 900–1,500 mm (35–59 in) annually. Therefore, different species offoliage andplants live at higher altitudes than those at ground level, and the same is true when comparing the southern face of the peninsula and areas of the river delta with those to the north.[23][24]
The terrain of the peninsula has much to do with thegeology of the Aegean Region in general. The peninsula was shaped into its current form over several geological eras with thetectonic merging ofPaleozoicschist formations,Mesozoiclimestone andmarble deposits, and finally the accretion of largeclays and other sediments during theNeogene period.[24][25] This is partly because of Turkey's unstablefault block terrain, and because of the close proximity of theAnatolian-Aegeanplate boundary, which generates massifs of mountains all across western Turkey.[26] This includes the peninsula and the mountains surrounding the Büyük Menderes River, known collectively as the Menderes Massif.[27][28]
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]
The national park is quite diverse in itswildlife andvegetation, 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 theRamsar Convention, theBerne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, theRio Convention on Biological Diversity, and theBarcelona Convention.[3][4]
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 theMediterranean,Marmara, andBlack Sea regions.[7]
Out of the 804 species of flora distributed throughout the park, six areendemic, completely exclusive to the park area, and cannot be observed anywhere else on earth, while another 30 areindigenous.[3] The most common and widely distributed plant species throughout the national park areMediterranean maquis shrubs such as thePhoenician juniper (Juniperus phoenicea). Other common vegetative species within the area include theoleaster-leafed pear (Pyrus elaeagnifolia),Turkish pine (Pinus brutia), andelm-leaved sumach (Rhus coriaria).[3][17]
In total, 28 species of mammals, 42 species of reptiles, and 45 fish species have been documented within the park.[3]Wild boar (Sus scrofa) are native to the park. They are often found near the beaches where they feed on scraps and trash dropped by visitors.[12] Further within the forests of the peninsula, other mammals can be spotted, such asgolden jackals (Canis aureus),Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and evenstriped hyenas (Hyaena hyaena) andcaracals (Caracal caracal), among many others usually not native to such areas.[3]
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 includepygmy cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus),little egrets (Egretta garzetta),lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni),Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus),white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), and theDalmatian 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, includingmonk seals,fin whales (only 1 sighting and 5 strandings have been documented in Turkish waters),[29][30] anddolphins are considered to reside in the park area, although regularity of occurrences are unclear.[3][31][32]
Nature photography is a common activity in the park due to the large variety of flora and fauna, as well aslandscape 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, althoughrecreational fishing is allowed, there are severe consequences for anyone found hunting within the jurisdiction of the park.[7][17][33]
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.[13] The park can be reached from the city center of Kuşadası via severaldolmuş (share taxis) that regularly shuttle the route to the closest town of Güzelçamlı. Recently, there have also beenferry boat services operating back and forth between Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı, in turn providing easier access to the park for visitors. Each year, around 700,000 foreign and domestic tourists visit the park.[4][11][17]
| Main peninsulas | |
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| Peninsulas in Thrace | |
| Peninsulas in Anatolia | |
| Related geographical features | |
