Nezahat Gokyigit Botanical Garden

Located very close to the Anatolian side of Istanbul, Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Park is a wonderful place where people of almost every age group from 7 to 77 can get away from the noise and stress of the city for a moment.

Located on the border of Ataşehir and Ümraniye, the botanical park is like a hidden paradise caught between the high skyscrapers around it. Actually, it is very similar to New York Central Park in this respect.

Where is Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden?

Although it is a bit difficult to go to Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden, one of the few botanical parks in Istanbul, without a vehicle, it is not impossible. First of all, let me describe how you can get to the botanical park with your car.

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Park has an entrance from both Ümraniye and Ataşehir. However, the entrance to Ataşehir can be closed from time to time due to the Finanskent construction. I will describe both entrance gates, but the most guaranteed one is Ümraniye Entrance.

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanic Garden Ümraniye Entrance

I recommend you to use the Ümraniye Entrance to enter the Botanic Park by coming from Beykoz, Çekmeköy, Üsküdar, Sancaktepe, Sultanbeyli and even from Sile and Agva. Reach Şenol Güneş Boulevard by coming from the ring road or from Ümraniye. Pass the Kadıköy Municipality Animal Shelter and continue on Şenol Güneş Boulevard. You will see the IETT-Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Park stop in the middle of two tunnel bridges on the boulevard. This is the entrance to Ümraniye.

Within the scope of the fight against Covid-19 by the security, you are allowed to enter the parking lot of the Botanical Park after the fever is measured from everyone’s wrist. There is no charge for parking. Like other services, parking is provided free of charge.

Covid-19 Measures in the Botanical Garden

The Botanic Garden, which closed its doors to its visitors due to the epidemic, was opened to visitors as of June 8, 2020, by taking all necessary measures. However, Picnic and Recreation areas are completely closed to use. In addition to this area, the Masjid, Library, Discovery Garden and Kemal Öner Publicity House are also closed. 1000 people are allowed to visit the Botanical Garden at the same time. If the number of visitors reaches this number, the park may be closed for short-term entrances. Hand sanitizer is available for your use in places such as WC, indoor area, tunnel in the botanical garden. In addition to all these, voluntary activities were temporarily suspended.

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden Ataşehir Entrance

The transport map you will follow to come to the botanical park with your vehicle from Kartal, Maltepe, Pendik, Kadıköy, Göztepe or the European Side is as follows.

From the Ataşehir – Tem connection road, take the Ataşehir Boulevard direction and continue by turning to the Osman Mosque side at the first crossroad that comes before you. Just ahead you will see the NGB Park entrance. As I mentioned before, Ataşehir entrance can be closed from time to time due to Finanskent Construction Site. If you see that it is closed, you can use the Ümraniye entrance.

How To Get To Ataşehir – Ümraniye Botanical Park By Public Transport?

If you do not have a vehicle of your own, you can reach Nezahat Gökyiğit Park by using public transportation.

There are daily trips to the Botanical Garden with IETT buses from Kadıköy. IETT bus times to Botanical Park departing from Kadıköy Pier are as follows;

• From Kadıköy to the Botanical Garden 10:00 / 12:00 / 14:00 and,
• From Botanical Garden to Kadıköy 11:30 / 13:30 / 16:30

You can learn up-to-date information about time and route from the IETT official website.

Apart from that, the bus line numbers and route information passing near Nezahat GÖKYİĞİT Botanic Park are as follows;

For Transportation by Bus by Ümraniye

• 13 – Ataşehir / Çakmak Mah. – KADIKÖY
• 13-M Şerifali – ÜSKÜDAR
• 13-Y Çakmak Mah. – Yenisahra – KADIKÖY
• 14-BK Çekmeköy – Parseller – KADIKÖY
• 20-D Sarıgazi – Yenişehir – KADIKÖY

For Transportation by Ataşehir by Bus

• 8K, 10A, 13, 13AB, 14ŞB, 16M, 19E, 19M, 21B ve 256

Who is Nezahat GÖKYİĞİT?

This park, whose short name is NGBB, which is known as Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden and which is one of the breathing places of Istanbul, is a memory park built in 1995 by the investor Ali Nihat GÖKYİĞİT in the name of his wife.

Although it was originally designed as a memory park, it has gradually developed into a giant botanical garden until today.

This area, which has a very degraded land structure due to the highway and connection roads passing around it, has been rehabilitated and turned into a corner of paradise after 25 years. Wooden camellias were built in the “Mesire Island” part of the botanical garden, which is equipped with plants belonging to almost every geography, and visitors were allowed to have a picnic here.

There are dozens of types of cactus, steppe plants, tree species brought from all over the world, vines, aquatic plants, ornamental plants, violets, roses, tulips, vine and even different types of grass in the Botanical Garden.

Sections of Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden

The passages between the places to be visited in the botanical garden consisting of 8 main sections are sometimes provided by high bridges and sometimes by long tunnels. Since the interior of the tunnels are designed like an exhibition hall, you will not be bored for a moment while walking. Each of the sections is called “Island“.

Beykoz Glass and Crystal Museum

1. Central Island (Merkez Ada)

It is one of the largest areas of the botanical garden, within the circle drawn by the Tem Highway connection road. In this section, we see that the rocks and stone fragments extracted before the land was rehabilitated were again used for restoration.

There is also a natural water source, miniature mill, a small stream and an ornamental pool in this section. The parts you can see in this region called the Central Island;

1. Rock Gardens
2. The Cameroon Region
3. Bulbous Plants Collection
4. Fenced Garden
5. Arid and Arid Desert Garden
6. Cactus Museum and Greenhouse
7. Lotus Pool
8. Cracked Rock Garden
9. Hidden Garden
10. Drinkable Natural Water Fountains
11. Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden Management Office
12. Herbarium
13. Library
14. education Center
15. Poultry (Goose and Ducks)
16. Flowering Plants Exhibition
17. Painter’s House (Closed)
18. Rock Crack Garden
19. Gulistan
20. Dwarf Konifer Collection
21. Gardener Kids Area
22. Cactus Lemonade
23. Meteorology Station (Closed)
24. Compost Station (Closed to Visiting)
25. Piano (Closed)
26. Fern Collection
27. Personnel and Interview Door
28. Ahmet Demirel Mosque
29. Fruit and Vegetable Garden (Closed to Visit)
30. Production Conservatory and Nurseries (Closed to Visiting)
31. Exhibition Conservatory
32. Oak Island Pass
33. Culvert Gallery 3 (Plants World Exhibition)

The high landscaping of the central island also raises the expectation that the visual impact is high. The main theme of the botanical park, or rather the secret, is that the landscaping area is visible from all sides. The masterpiece that will emerge must be visible from all sides.

One of the most striking parts of the Central Island is the area of cacti that need very little soil and water throughout their lifetime. The cacti in both the open area and the greenhouse are worth seeing.

2. Picnic Island (Mesire Adası)

As the name suggests, the NGBB Park is a picnic area where guests can consume cooked food and drinks to be brought with them. There are many camellias and picnic tables in this section. Since it is forbidden to have a barbecue or fire here, only ready-to-consume food and drinks are allowed.

Mesire Island is a triangular cone-shaped area between the highway connection roads. You can rest on the camellia, tables and benches in this area.

It is also worth remembering that you can use bicycles, scooters, roller skates, battery powered children’s vehicles and so on in the Botanical Park. Entry by vehicles is prohibited. Disabled vehicles are excluded from this prohibition.

The parts of Mesire Island are as follows;

1. Grill Gallery -1 (NGBB Exhibition)
2. NGBB Promotion House
3. Lotus Pool
4. Drinking Fountains
5. Promenade and Picnic Area
6. Discovery Garden
7. Bamboo Maze
8. Service Door (Closed to Visiting)

The Bamboo Labyrinth and Discovery Garden prepared for children in the Botanical Park Promenade Island will provide them with a great time.

3. Arboretum Island

Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden, which was opened in the Spring of 2011, has come to life in Arboretum Island, from different parts of our country and the world. Plants are divided into parts according to their types and geographies from which they come from. Turkey, Europe, Siberia, you can see Iran and Mediterranean species of plants grouped.

Plants from the Arboretum Island and the entire Botanical Garden are certified and classified. It is hung on the cards that serve as identification of the plant. You can have comprehensive information about that plant by reading the QR code for detailed information.

Located right next to the Little Rock Garden, Prof.Dr. Faik YALTIRIK Corner, on the other hand, was arranged as a collection of memories and attributed to him.

4. Ertuğrul Island (Japon Sakura Trees)

It is the section organized and opened to visitors in 2005 in order to keep alive the memory of the 527 sailors who were killed in the Ertuğrul Ship, which was sent to Japan in 1890 and sank as a capsize on the way back.

Since the entrance and exit to the island can only be provided by tunnels, there is no other way by vehicle or walking. Its parts are as follows;

1. Japanese Sakura Trees
2. Olive Tree (Olive Monument)
3. Culvert (Tunnel) Gallery
4. Hydrangea Collection
5. Useful Plants Collection
6. Black Sea Garden
7. Ertuğrul Martyrs Monument

5. İstanbul Island

In 2010, it was organized and put into service within the scope of Istanbul European Capital of Culture studies. It is the section where works and artifacts unique to the historical architecture of Istanbul rather than botanicals.

You can see examples of logic and utility-based Ottoman Gardens, which are far from ornamental and pleasure, in Istanbul Island, where the 18th century Istanbul Houses are located. In the section that resembles a neighborhood, the observation terrace and the neighborhood fountain are also among the works that stand out.

NGBB Park Istanbul Island also built a miniature Bosphorus bridge. With its seven hills, Bosphorus bridges and neighborhood fountains, this tiny Istanbul-like island is one of the most visited islands. The parts in Istanbul Island are as follows;

1. 18th century Old Mansion Garden
2. Bosphorus Canal
3. Neighborhood Garden
4. Osman Otağı
5. Istanbul Plants Collection
6. Happy Trees Exhibition in Istanbul (Inside Culvert)
7. Garden and Flower Exhibition in Istanbul (Inside the Culvert)
8. Amphitheatre

6. Oak Island (Meşe Adası)

Oak Island has an area of mixed woodland consisting of Turkey’s acquired its place in almost all regions, especially oak trees somewhere where you can cool off on hot summer days plentifully.

Oak Island is the smallest part of the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden. However, it also hosts a small dam. An artificial dam dam (Oak Dam) was built by Ataşehir in order to collect the flowing rain water and some of the water need of the garden is met from here.

7. Thrace Island (Trakya Adası)

It is the newest section of the Botanical Garden. Its construction was completed in 2017 and it was put into service. In this section, you will see that there are plants and dunes that had to be moved due to the construction of the 3rd Airport (Istanbul Airport).

It is divided into two parts as İğneada Longozu and Sığla Longozu. At the same time, the Fruit Collection and Sand Dune Conservation Area are among the places that can be seen in this section.

İstanbul Kelebek Çiftliği

8. Anatolian Island (Anadolu Adası)

It is the largest island of Istanbul Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden. It is not known whether it has an elevation in the direction of East – West, it is called Anatolia Island. This chapter in Turkey’s Geographic Region 7 was simulated. The parts of the Anatolian Island where natural planting technique is also used are as follows;

1. Rock garden
2. Square
3. Pipeline
4. Hasan Mountain
5. Wet Valley

Visiting this area of Turkey depicting almost unique species of endemic plants and flowers will be very enjoyable.

Questions About Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden