Inkaya "Sycamore Village"

On our way down the mountain when Cheryl was visiting, we pulled in to see the oldest tree in Bursa at Inkaya or "Sycamore Village".  The tree "Tarihi Cinar" is a sycamore or plane tree.  It is estimated to be 600 years old.  It is approximately 115 ft. high (about height of a 12 story building) and 30 ft. in circumference.  Branches are approximately 3-4 ft. thick.  There was a spring water stream running through a water course in the area.  The tree sits amidst restaurants and tea gardens and the local women have a market and sell fresh produce, handmade food and trinkets.  The village depends on tourism from the tree for it's livelihood. (In case you don't know, if you double click on the photos, they will enlarge.)

The water course.  Cold water and it felt good on a hot day.

The tree, the best you can capture it.  There were so many people around, it was hard to find a good spot to photograph it from.

Geoff & Cheryl at the base.

View up into the branches of the tree to try and capture the gnarly and twisted branches and size/height of it.  Hard to capture.

Two examples of devices being used to hold branches up that would probably be lying on the ground.  Some of the restaurants/tea houses are in the background and the tree is surrounded with tables and chairs for use of the patrons.

A snippet of the market/gift area run by the village women and children. 

 On the way down the mountain and into Bursa you go through old town Bursa called Cekirge.  We briefly stopped to take a couple photos of the old, old Turkish Baths or Hamam.  This one dates to 1389.  The original old Turkish Baths are connected to what is called a Kervansaray, or a hotel with a hamam.  For the true Turkish Bath experience, we are told to go to one of those hotels.  One day.....