Turkish gardener preserves the urban ecological legacy in Istanbul’s Yedikule gardens
For Dursun Kaplan, a long day kicks off at 6 am at the YedikuleThe 55-year-old Dursun Bey is one of 32 gardeners living among the gardens located along what were once the great protective moats lining the Land Walls of the Yedikule neighbourhood. “These 32 gardeners are engaged in agriculture, from the Topkapı gate to the Yedikule gate,” he says.
“Yedikule lettuce, one of the vegetable varieties created in Istanbul during the Ottoman era, is still cherished by its senior citizens. It is a crucial part of the collective memory and experience of this province,” says Aleksandar Shopov, professor of early Ottoman history at Binghamton University in New York.Yedikule lettuce has characteristically crisp, long and yellowish-green leaves.
These stone walls, which have witnessed the rise and fall of several empires across 1,600 years of history and have withstood the test of time despite a multitude of disasters, ranging from sieges, wars, earthquakes and fires, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, and to this day, stand out as key components of the urban fabric of this legendary city.These formerly defensive structures, spanning 7.
The bounty of nature adorning the table, including the honey Dursun Bey has harvested from the hives set at the back of the garden, bears a rustic look that comes as a pleasant surprise.Dursun Bey’s breakfast consists radish salad, cekme halva, olives, honey and buttercream. / Photo: Nuran Gunduz
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