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ULUDAG - BURSA - TURKEY * BY : Gurcan GULERYUZ |
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ULUDAG ( MOUNT OLYMPOS )| BURSA Known as Bythinian Olympos or Kesis Dagi (Mountain of Monks) in the past, Uludag’s claim to fame today is as Turkey’s foremost winter sports centre. The mountain belongs to the range which marches east-west through the Black Sea region, and is the highest mountainin northwest Turkey, rising to 2543 metres. In 1961 Uludag became one of Turkey’s first national parks, originally covering an area of 113.38 square kilometres, to preserve the remarkable flora and spectacular scenery of the mountain. The southern flank is limestone and extremely steep, while the southwest flank is granite and characterised by a fascinating geomorphological structure. In 1998 the area of the national park was extended to 127.62 square kilometres. As well as the highest peak of Uludag Tepe, the mountain has several other peaks, including Zirvetepe, Kusaklikaya and Sahinkaya. At around 2000 metres there are moraines of loose rock and boulders deposited by glaciers, and the lakes of Kilimligöl, Karagöl and Aynaligöl. 
The variation in climatic conditions from the lower slopes up to the peaks of Uludag is the main factor in its considerable biological diversity. With over a hundred endemic species of flora, nearly thirty of them unique to Uludag, the mountain is botanically one of the most interesting areas in the country.As the snow gradually recedes in spring, the mountain breaks out in colour. Crocus biflorus, a pale lilac-blue crocus with two flowers to a stem, and Crocus chrysanthus, a golden yellow species, do not even wait for the snow to melt. Their flower heads on delicate stalks push their way through the snow cover. This reawakening begins in March and continues through the summer at the summit, so that between March and August Uludag is a floral paradise. In particular it is the land above the tree line - which many people assume to be bare and infertile - that is richest in rare and unique flower species. All along the paths between the peaks of Zirvetepe, Kusaklikaya and Sahinkaya and the mountain lakes endemic species await discovery between the stones. They include Astragalus sibthorpianus (milkvetch), Galium olympicum (bedstraw), Gypsophila olympica (chalk-plant), Arabis drabiformis, Aubrieta olympica, Crepis aurea subsp. olympica (hawk’s-beard), Erodium sibthorpianum subsp. sibthorpianum (hern’sr bill, stork’s-bill), Senecio olympicus (cineraria, ragwort), Thymus bornmuelleri (thyme), Papaver pilosum (field poppy), Hypericum adenotrichum (St.John’s wort), Linum olympicum (flax), Dianthus leucapheus var. leucapheus (pink), Onosma velutinum (golden drops), Centaurea drabifoli subsp. drabifolia (cornflower, sweet sultan, centaury), Scorzonera pygmaea subsp. pygmaea (vipr’s-grass), Allium sibthorpianum (garlic), Matthiola montana (bromptonstock or queenstock), Veronica caespitosa var. caespitosa (speedwell), and Olymposciadium caespitosum. If the Yörüks do not migrate when the animals expect, the older animals take their place at the head of the herds and attempt to lead them up into the mountains in search of green grass and cool temperatures. At around 1000 metres in April and May the verges of the road are bright with Verbascum prusianum (verbascum). In the damp meadows near the ski resort you can see Primula auriculata, and amongst the juniper and fir woods hide Tulipa sylvestris (wild tulip), Acinos alpinus (alpine mint), and other unusual species. Gentiana lutea subsp. symphyandra (yellow gentian) is a species threatened with extinction worldwide due to over-gathering of its roots, which have therapeutic properties. It blooms in June and July amongst the granite rocks between Tutyali and Kusaklikaya. Woods of Abies bornmuelleriana or Uludag fir, also an endemic species, are another important biological asset of the mountain. The colourful display of the alpine belt begins in March and continues throughout the summer, making way in autumn for the fiery show of the deciduous forest. So although Uludag tends to be associated with snow and skiing, in fact its flora and wilderness landscape make the mountain a fascinating place to visit at any time of year. |
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