Belgrad Forest

At the easternmost point of the Çatalca Peninsula, Belgrad Forest (Belgrad Ormanı) stretches to the Bosphorus in the east and the Black Sea in the north. One of the most important green areas Istanbul has left, the forest is natural woodland and famous for cutting you off from the city the moment you step inside.

The forest takes its name from the many Serbian captives whom Suleiman the Magnificent brought back from his Serbian campaign and settled here, which is how it became the Belgrade Forest. Towards the 1900s the Serbs were moved out on the grounds that they were damaging the forest and its drinking water, and the area then became a recreation area open to the public.

The forest covers about 5,400 hectares, and because of its size several separate recreation areas have been created with access in mind.

If you come on foot or by bicycle, you can enter without paying.

Recreation Areas in Belgrad Forest

With seating areas, playgrounds and walking trails, it is ideal for families. It is on the Bahçeköy–Kemerburgaz road.

Mehmet Akif Ersoy Recreation Area

Close to Sarıyer, with room for large groups and a dirt football pitch, it is one of the most popular spots. It is on Çayır Başı Street, which runs down from Bahçeköy to Sarıyer.

Falih Rıfkı Atay Recreation Area

Spread over about 200 dönüms (20 hectares), this area has tables for picnickers, water sources and a football pitch. It is next to Neşet Suyu, just after the Bahçeköy entrance.

Bentler Recreation Area

Three dams (bent) built in Ottoman times to meet the city’s water needs stand here. There are also cycling and running tracks, playgrounds and a kiosk for snacks and supplies. It can be reached by the paved road branching right after the Bahçeköy entrance.

Ayvad Bendi Recreation Area

Here there is a reservoir built on the Ayvad stream, and it has some of the forest’s most beautiful views. It is ideal for picnics, resting and photography. Enter at the Kemerburgaz entrance and continue past the Kurtkemeri recreation area.

Fatih Çeşmesi Recreation Area

This is where the Fountain of Mehmed the Conqueror (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Çeşmesi) stands. There is also a café-restaurant, and it is one of the areas with the most birds and squirrels. It is on the Bahçeköy–Kemerburgaz road.

Kömürcübent Recreation Area

This is the area around the dam built on the Topuz stream. You can also see the deer at the deer breeding centre nearby.

Irmak Recreation Area

A clear stream runs through the middle, and its running track takes you deep into the forest. From the Maslak–Bahçeköy entrance, follow the road to the left; the area is 4 km further on.

Where Is Belgrad Forest and How Do You Get There?

The forest lies in

between the Sarıyer and Eyüp districts.

How Do You Get to Belgrad Forest by Bus? By bus, you can reach the forest on lines 42T, 42R, 42M, 42HM or 153.