SULTAN’S MARSHES WETLANDS – KAYSERİ

The marsh area of Sultan Sazlığı is an extensive wetland ecosystem complex in Kayseri province, Central Anatolia. The area got it’s name as Sultan’s Marshes when in the 17^th c Sultan Murat IV’s army camped there for several months to stockpile for his eastern campaign. The site includes a saline lake, salt steppe, nutrient-rich freshwater marshes, wet meadows, small islands, and lakes.

Situated at an altitude of 1000 m within a closed basin and surrounded by hills and mountains, the area is a critical habitat for an immense variety of plant and animal species. It is located at the intersection of two main bird migration routes between Europe and Africa so it is a breeding and wintering site for various species of endangered or globally threatened waterbirds.