Saray Forests
The only black pine forest in Thrace is found in the Saray Kastro area and has been designated a National Park.
View on map6 places to visit in the Saray district of Tekirdağ: Saray Forests, Saray Plain and Kastro (Çamlıköy). Plan your trip to Saray with local food, practical tips and transport information.
The district covers 620 km², has a population of 51,468 and an average altitude of 153 metres above sea level. It is bordered by the districts of Vize to the north, Çatalca to the east, Çerkezköy to the south and Çorlu to the west.
History
Among the oldest settlement areas in Tekirdağ province, the Chalcolithic Age finds have been discovered in the Güneşkaya and Güngörmez caves within the boundaries of the district of Saray. In 514–513 BC, after the Scythian campaign of the Persian King Darius, Thrace came under Persian rule. In 1362, Saray was incorporated into Ottoman territory. The Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk honoured Saray during the Thrace Manoeuvres on 18 August 1937.
Geography
The district of Saray is established on flat land, and most of its territory lies in the Ergene Basin. The highest point of the district is Karatepe, on the Yıldız Mountains, at 473 metres. The Ergene River rises at Karatepe Güneşkaya in the Saray district, and the other two watercourses are the Vize Stream and the Galata Stream. Of the district’s land, 314,895 decares are farmland, while forest and scrubland cover 255,665 decares. The district has a continental climate, with cold, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; the annual average rainfall is 678.2 mm.
Climate and Flora
The only black pine forest in Thrace is found in the Saray Kastro area, and the 329-hectare black pine forest was designated a National Park on 18 April 1988. The Yıldız Mountains are forested, and in these forests broadleaved trees such as oak and black pine predominate.
History and Culture
Saray was incorporated into Ottoman territory in 1362. It is estimated that Saray was an old settlement centre and was founded around 400 BC. During the War of Independence, the region was occupied by Greece. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited the district during the Thrace Manoeuvres on 18 August 1937.
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