A giant plane tree, standing tall for nearly a thousand years in the Turgut neighborhood in Kocaeli’s Izmit district, continues to amaze locals and visitors alike. With its towering height and estimated diameter of around 10 meters (32 feet), the tree is a popular spot for people seeking shade and relaxation.

However, about 1.5 years ago, the tree fell victim to an act of vandalism when it was set on fire by unidentified individuals. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames, but the tree’s trunk suffered mold due to exposure to air. Despite this incident, the ancient plane tree remains resilient and defies time.

The plane tree, which inspired designs for leather goods, animal reins and sandals over the centuries, has now become a frequent destination for citizens fleeing the city's crowd.

Ali Baydil, 68, who spent his childhood around the giant tree, said: "This is a historical plane tree. According to measurements, it has a thousand-year history. An agricultural engineer came here and checked. The tree extends to one meter in size in 100 years. I measured it; it has a diameter of 10 meters. (It’s) a historical plane tree."

Explaining that it has a long history and is mentioned in the context of distasteful events of World War I between Ottomans and Greeks after Ottoman soldiers were hanged from the tree, Baydil also noted that access to the tree was restricted during the pandemic 1.5 years ago. He also said that unknown individuals set the tree on fire, leaving a person-size hole in its trunk.

"The tree burned up to the top. Then firefighters came and extinguished the flames. After extinguishing the blaze, the burned places suffered from fungus and mold," he explained.

He furtherly noted that Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and the governor’s office later came and cleaned the fungus-infested and moldy parts of the tree. The spot remained in derelict for years, but, Baydil said, "We have now taken on the role of caretakers of this place now."