Şamlar Tabiat Parkı

Şamlar Nature Park is a wooded recreation area in the north of Başakşehir, on the route that runs between the Kayabaşı quarter and Şamlar and links the Old Edirne Road with Arnavutköy. Municipal sources also call it Kayabaşı Şamlar Nature Park. The area appears among the Istanbul parks in the nature park list of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and was declared a nature park on 11 July 2011. The park takes its name from the Şamlar neighbourhood, within whose boundaries it lies. Şamlar was a village until 2013 and is now a neighbourhood bordered by Kayabaşı, Haraççı and Hacımaşlı. The Sazlıdere reservoir and the Şamlar Forest also lie within its boundaries. When the dam was completed in 1996, part of the village land was flooded and some of the villagers moved to a site allotted to them about 1 kilometre away. This is why people speak today of an Old Şamlar and a New Şamlar. The old village mosque in the neighbourhood is recorded as built in 1839 and is under protection. The neighbouring Sazlıdere Dam was built between 1991 and 1996 to supply drinking water. The water history of the area is also worth noting. According to the Başakşehir District Governorate, the Şamlar Dam on the Şamlar Stream, one of the largest branches of the Sazlıdere, was built under Mahmud II between 1826 and 1828. The dam is 10.14 metres high, with a crest width of 12.22 metres and a base width of 15.58 metres. Walking through the forest knowing that its streams were once part of a catchment that fed the city's water changes the meaning of the visit. Conifers dominate the forest cover of the park. Alongside stone pine, Turkish red pine and black pine, you will also see downy oak, Aleppo oak, ash, chestnut, hornbeam and alder. The understorey holds shrubs such as tree heath, strawberry tree, rockrose, Spanish broom, bay laurel and dog rose. Surveys of the area are reported to have recorded a total of 95 different plants. Red squirrel, fox, hare, hedgehog, golden jackal and wild boar are among the animals living in the forest. The municipality's description notes that hawks can also be seen over the wide clearings beneath the stone pines. The park lies on land with state forest status, and its natural forest cover together with the nearby reservoir adds to the variety of plants and animals. To improve your chances of seeing wildlife, keep to the paths and walk quietly. The recreation area has six entrance gates. Inside there are signposts, toilets, washbasins, a small prayer room, a children's play area and wooden picnic tables. At weekends families, groups of friends and associations use the park for picnics and walks. Weekday mornings are better suited to anyone wanting a quiet walk. The dirt roads inside the forest are carpeted with pine needles and suit long walks. Paths can turn muddy in winter and after rain, so waterproof shoes are useful. Rules on lighting fires, barbecues and camping are set by nature park regulations; ask the operator about current rules and open areas before you come. Take particular care in the summer months when the forest fire risk is high, and take your rubbish home with you. The park is reached by turning left onto the asphalt road that descends from the Nokta locality on the road from Gaziosmanpaşa towards Arnavutköy. According to the municipality it can also be reached by public transport; check current routes with İETT. For anyone who also wants to see Yarımburgaz Cave on the same day, the two sites lie at the northern and southern ends of Başakşehir, a short drive apart.