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A pine tree estimated to be more than 400 years old in Türkiye's Kastamonu Hacimuharrem village is drawing attention for its unusual structure and cultural significance, as local residents call for its official registration as a monumental tree.
Located in the Kozlu neighborhood, the pine tree stands about 4.5 meters tall, making it significantly shorter than most monumental trees. Its downward-growing branches, some of which enter the soil and later re-emerge, form an umbrella-like shape. Due to this distinctive appearance, locals refer to it as the “Kozlu Pine,” “Hennaed Girl Tree,” “Shrine Pine,” and “Prostrating Pine.”
Despite damage to its trunk in past years and a large hollow at its base, the tree remains healthy. According to the book “Monumental Trees of Kastamonu,” published by the Kastamonu Provincial Special Administration, it is recorded as the shortest pine tree among the monumental trees identified in the region.
Hacimuharrem Village Headman Kadir Cavdarci said the tree is considered sacred by villagers. “Its branches descend toward the ground as if in prostration. We want this tree to be officially registered as a monumental tree,” he said.
Former village headman Mustafa Celik noted that the branches have never been seen growing upward and suggested that an old burial site may exist beneath the tree. He also recalled that villagers once used smoke from small pieces of wood taken from the tree as a traditional remedy for eye and head pain.
Cebrail Keles, one of the authors of “Monumental Trees of Kastamonu,” said that although the tree appears small from the outside, its interior forms a natural chamber around the trunk, giving the feeling of entering a large room. He added that the tree’s form suggests an age of 400 to 500 years.
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