“Where is that fatty Yedikule marul we used to eat?” asks an old-timer. Today we are visiting Yedikule Kuş Cenneti Parkı. This park offers a green escape. It allows district residents to feel in a green oasis.
Yedikule Kuş Cenneti Parkı emphasizes herbal design. Circular wooden seating groups surround plant groups. These groups have steel profiles. The design supports a feeling of unity with nature. The park also includes a spacious play area for children. Here children can play and communicate healthily with their parents.
This special park covers 1.285 square meters. It was completed in 2020. The goal of the project was to create a green space. This space is designed to feel like a natural oasis.
The history of the Yedikule area runs deep. The nearby Yedikule gardens have been a constant element. They have shaped the city’s landscape for centuries. Some historians say destroying the Yedikule gardens harms a living part of the Byzantine city itself.
These gardens represent the untamable spirit of the city. They highlight the beautiful impossibilities of Istanbul.
Yusuf Bey owns Titiz Manav. It is a fruit and vegetable shop. He fondly remembers the Yedikule lettuce. He says it was fresher. There weren’t three middlemen raising the price. Yusuf Bey also believes farms give life to the space. Where there are no farms there is a nest of filth he says. Where farmers have taken ownership it’s a beautiful green space.
Sevki Kaplan is one of the farmers. He arrived in Istanbul from a village in Kastamonu. He settled where he knew people farmed. He cleaned up a wasteland. Then he started growing cabbage, chard and arugula. He also grew lettuce onions and purslane. He sells these at a stand outside his gate. He also goes to a weekly market in Zeytinburnu.
Sevki Kaplan believes in God and fate. He doesn’t sink deep roots anywhere. He says it’s all written. If they destroy his gardens he might work as a garbage man.
Yedikule Kuş Cenneti Parkı offers a serene contrast. It stands against Istanbul’s rapid development. It reminds us of the city’s green spaces. It reminds us of the importance of preserving them. The park represents a blend of nature and community. It offers a peaceful retreat. It also connects people to the land’s rich history.