Natural & Cultural Sites

Silivri Kalepark

Silivri Kalepark is an amusement park located within the historic castle in the Silivri district of Istanbul. Owned by the local municipality, the park was opened in 2020 following restoration works. It includes an open-air museum where stone artifacts found in and around the city are exhibited.

The park is situated inside a historic castle located on a 47-meter-high cliff by the sea. While the castle dates back to the 3rd century AD, most of the remaining structures belong to the 9th and 12th centuries. Following restoration works carried out by the Silivri Municipality, the park was opened on August 30, 2020. The open-air museum exhibits around 150 stone artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods found in Silivri and its surroundings. The park also includes a cafeteria and picnic area.

Source: Wikipedia – Silivri Kalepark (TR)

Address: Fatih, Şaban Demiray Cd. No:6, 34570 Silivri/İstanbul

Danamandıra Nature Park

Danamandıra Nature Park is a nature park located in the Silivri district of Istanbul.

The forested area, which includes lakes and lies just southwest of Danamandıra Village in the Silivri district of Istanbul’s European side, was registered as a protected site in 2006 for the purpose of nature conservation. On December 16, 2015, the recreation area with three lakes and reed-covered shores was designated as a nature park.

In 2016, the park was leased for 49 years to the neighboring Esenyurt Municipality to provide a recreational area for residents living in crowded urban areas. The opening took place in mid-May of the same year.

An entrance fee is charged for vehicles.

Source: Wikipedia – Danamandıra Tabiat Parkı (TR)

Address: Danamandıra, 34582 Silivri/İstanbul

İnceğiz Cave Monastery

İnceğiz Cave Monastery (Turkish: İnceğiz Mağara Manastırı) is a rock-carved cave monastery located in the village of İnceğiz, in the Çatalca district of Istanbul, northwestern Turkey.

İnceğiz village lies about 9 km (5.6 miles) northwest of Çatalca. The cave monastery is situated in the Karasu Valley overlooking the Karasu Stream. It is a four-story rock-cut structure carved into a limestone formation that is easily shaped. The site can be accessed via a wooden staircase along a path. The openings of the rock dwelling are closed off with chains.

Originally, the four floors were interconnected. However, due to erosion and earthquakes, some parts of the structure collapsed, breaking several connections. The first floor consists of three rooms. The internal staircase leading from the first to the upper floors is damaged, with only a few steps remaining under the second floor. The second floor can be accessed from outside. On this floor, there is a church measuring 4.50 m × 7 m (14.8 ft × 23.0 ft) with a large cross relief on its wall. The dome of the cross-shaped room has a diameter of 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in). The third floor includes three rooms, two of which are large. On the fourth floor, there is a sitting room and a chapel measuring 5 m × 5 m (16 ft × 16 ft).

The cave monastery has been known since the 1950s. It is believed to have been actively used by Christians for a period. It was likely inhabited and used as a Byzantine monastery from the 4th century to the end of the 12th century. However, archaeological excavations carried out between 1992 and 1995 revealed that the area had been settled long before that period.

Source: Wikipedia – İnceğiz Cave Monastery (EN)

Address: İnceğiz, 34540 Çatalca/İstanbul